The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-08-06
No. 26


Prepare a solid bench of two-ply
or layers of inch boards on trussels.
so the top of bench will be nineteen
inches high for men of common
height, ,sevenfeet wide if shearers are
to stand along both sides, and any
length required. If the catching
pens can be had convenient it is
much better to have the shearing
bench only five feet wide and have
the shearers all on one side next the
sheep, while the feeces may then be
more conveniently lifted to the lap
ping table. It may be smoothed off
with plane if the boards are rough
enough to catch the wool
SuppOsing the sheep to be in a pen
conveniently at hand, the shearer
will lift one and set it up on the
bench on it's rump, with his left foot
on the bench and the sleeps head
and neck leaned over his leg close up
to him, and it's legs being straight
out from him, as he stands erect
close up to the bench, facing directly
across it. He will place it's fore legs
up under his left arm and have his
left hand and fore arm free. Grasp
ing the shears in the right hand,
commence shearing at the top or
point of the brisket; shear the belly
first. With the left hand grasp the
skin above the shears, continuously
stretching it so as to make the sur
face full and smooth for them to run
on. Shear clear across the belly at
each run of the shears, letting the
wool drop down and away from
them.
Shear down we'll between the hind
legs and trim all wool from insides
of them, and trim SO that all the un-
der parts of the sheep will be COM
pletely and neatly trimmed at this
time because a sheep is more likely
to struggle when it's belly and legs
are being shorn or trimmed and if it
should there is no fleece as yet to get
it's feet in and then it is most likely
to struggle when first put on the
bench, if at all. Shove the belly
wool and trimmings off in a little
pile so they will not likely get in the
bright face of the body of the fleece.
This rather preliminary work is
essential because when neatly done
it preserves the good appearance of
the animal and fleece when the whole
work is completed but it need not
take longer to do it than it has taken
me to write about it,
I remark in general: hold the
sheep so that the fleece will roll off
gently from the shears without pull
ing it much away. This preserves
beauty to the fleece. The left hand is
the helper and should ever draw the
skin 80 as to have it stretched tight
under and ahead Of the shears. This
makes smoothly shorn surface and
avefts danger of cutting the skin.
The expert shearer will slightly
but continuously shift the position
of the sheep and with aid of left arm
and hand constantly, from begin
ming to finish, prepare the longest
runs for the shears all of the time
keeping the upper blade of the shears
pointing out of and not into the
wool. This means speed.
After trimming straighten up, with
the sleeps legs all down loosely and
it's head and neck turned slightly to
the left and bent over the shearer's
left leg; put the shears in at the
sleeps right side of the point of the
brisket, the left hand at the jaw,
slightly stretching and bending the
neck over his leg, the operator will
find it easy to follow with shears
that ridge part from the starting
point forward to and under the right
ear, keeping the neck and skin we'll
stretched the under part of the neck,
throat and jaws will assume their
best possible position for smooth and
speedy clipping, and as it is COM
pleted the sheep may roll over to-
ward the operator, on to It's right
hip, with all the legs turned rather
toward his right hand.
The left side of neck and left shoul-
der are now well exposed for the
shears, while the left hand and fore
arm are busy stretching the skin and
making long runs for the shears
from point of left shoulder the fore
leg, and edge of unshorn fleece be-
low, clear up the side to the top of
shoulder and over the back bone