The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1892-04-30
2. s!g OF LmPREss
FLEECE PRESS.
OF

DESCRIPTION: Scale one inch To the foot
The press consists Of three boards five feet
long. one foot broad and one inch thick. |. Rep
rcScntS the bottom Of the press or box where
the fleece is placed. This measures l2xIi
inches and * attached 10 the sides and folding
ends by eight small hinges. !: Sides Of press,
IXI feet. : Fielding ends 10 box. Xxi foot. l.
Cross supports attached by hinges To sides. 5
Hole, fun breadth 81 board. where you introduce
the hand 10 raise folding ends. q. Represents
four strings laid in the proper position for tying
tn" ficcCcS; these should h. sufficiently long 81
as To- tie easily :. Wooden clamps To hold press
in position until the fleece is tied. :. Notchcs
one inch deep. in which you drop the ends Of
clamps when press is closed: the bent ends hold
the sides in proper position a. well as the fold
inG ends, which come inSid" the clamps.
the next. Always have a good supply of
strings on hand.
The press should be placed on a table
or frame. taking care to leave open a
space. as shown at !. for the introduce
ton of the hand. Thirty inches will he
found II convenient height for the table
or frame on which tn rest the press.
At burlington the press has been in
use for the last four years. and Mr.. L.
W. Harvey. in addition to receiving the
maximum price of the season for his
clip was invariably conplimcntcd on
the buSineSs-likc name his wool had
been handled.
\ few remarks on wool NAV not he
ont of place. Sheep should he shorn on
a clean. smooth iloor or table, and you
cannot ovcrratc the Importance of ever
clipping. Nothing is more unseemly to
the eye of Il practical tlock-maStcr or
judge than a rough-Shorn sheep. In
sheep intended for exhibition
is of inrStimahlc value. as when ruuT:-
~ shnrn at first it becomes u most diff
cult matter to level the sheep and erase
the shcar-marks. This every old, ex-
pcricnced trimmer" can testify to.
Another point that requires great at
tention is in not allowing the f,eeccs to
be broken. This is too often the result
of carclcsSness or the inability to han
die the sheep properly. Turning owe
sheep is apparently simple. but watch
the shearcrs or those intrustcd at the
fairs with show sheep and observe how
few really know the art.
The proper season of shearing is of
great Importance and varies with the
situation and climate. The precise
period is noted by the full growth Of
wool when it separates readily from
the skin. when the new wool begins to
appear; or, in other words, when ma
ture begins to change the winter coat
of the sheep for the summer one.
Fleece wool is claSScd under the gen
cral heads of ~''combing' and cloth
ing" but unless you are an expert at
the business it is better tn leave the
task To the wool broker. One point
Won can accomplish, and that is to class
the tlceces of the yearling sheep sep
aratc from the older. Pack them in
different bales and brand them to that
effect. As the ycarling or hogget wool
is much the most valuable you will he
well repaid for the trouble. You
can gu still further. You can
class the fivc-vcar-old and upward
~tlceces by themselves; in this You are
guided by the age car-mark of the
sheep. which ought to exist in all we'll
regulated fiockS.-W. Watson, in Breed
prS- taZpttp