THE SHEEP-SHEARING MACHINE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1717, 23 November 1887, Page 3

THE SHEEP-SHEARING MACHINE

The Briabnne " Courier " re'ora m the following term a to tr.e working of Wolaeley'a sheep-shearing ranohlne at the Brisbane Exhibition :— Tfc was one of the greatest attractions. There wore fivo rema selected to oompete for the priz* of £10 10b presented by Messrs Wosenholt Brothers for the beet rams flnece shorn by tho machine. Ihe first operated npon was the property of the Darling Downs and Western Land Company ; then came two owned by Mr J T. Donnelly, one belonging to Messrs Marshall and Slade, and the fifth to Meesrs Hodgson and Ramsey. The last appeared to be a mass of wrinkles. He had great folds of akin roond his neck, end was about as dlflioult a sheep to shear na might possibly b« found y as his wool w&aT veiy aloaa aad dense. Hln fleece when spread oat lltnrftlly covered the shearing lior. The average time taken to shear the 5 rami was twenty-five and a half minutes each. We •re informed that at theDeniliqoln Shovr, were a priza of £10 was given for the bett shearer, some thirty six rams were ehon by four men with the ordinary sheared, and the average time taken to shear each was jost a little over an hour, thus the machine shears can evidently beat the ordinary shears, when - good work ia required to be done. After lunch four ewes were pat through for the prize of £10 10s presented by the Union Mercantile end Agency Company for the best ewe's fleece shorn by the machine. These were owned by tho Darling Downs and Western Land Co., and Messrs MarshtU and Slade, the latter entering their champion ewe. Those present were warm m their praise of the work done.