FACTS FOR FARMERS. HOW TO SHEAR A SHEEP.

Waikato Times, Volume VI, Issue 373, 3 October 1874, Page 2

FACTS FOR FARMERS. HOW TO SHEAR A SHEEP.

First, clean all the points, the crutch and the belly wool, and let this be swept aside and taken away at once by the " picker up." Then the neck should be carefully opened, not with the shears slanting, but by small careful blows, until the wool is parted, and the shearer has secured a good face to his work. The greatest injury to the fleece takes place on the back, and is caused by the operator not raising his hand so as to keep the point of his shears close down to the skin, 1 .this is known as " cutting through." It takes place when the sheep is shorn on one side, and in shearing over the back the points of tho shears cut nearly, or qiiite through the fleece from the inside to the out ; and when the animal is being shorn on the othei 1 , or " turning out" side, the shears are again pointed upwards, and the cuts on the first and last sides overlap each other, forming a sort of Vandyke line, and causing the fleece to part in two halves all along the back. , This is altogether inexcusable; and no man should be kept in a shed ,who shears in this way. No good shearer makes second cuts ; the fact that the wool has been left by the first cut proves that the shears have not been handled properly, and tho wool thus removed by the second cut is perfectly useless, entails a loss on the manufacturer, and lowers the brand in the market. RULES AND REGULATIONS. 1. Shearing to commence each working day at sunrise, and end half an hour before sunset. 2, Meal times, from 8 to 9 a.m. for breakfast ; and from Ito 2 p.m, for dinner. Morning smoke for half an hour, from a quarter to, till a quarter past 11. Afternoon smoke for 20 minutes, from 4 till 20 minutes past 4 o'clock. No sheep to be caught after the bell sounds for meals or rest. 3. No man to shear more than 100 sheep per day. 4. Every sheep to be shorn closely and cleanly, and the fleece taken off whole. " Tomahawking " will in no case be allowed, neither will clipping or chopping be tolerated ; the wool must be taken ofF at the first blow. Every breach of this rule -will subject the shearer to a fine or deduction of a score of sheep from his tally. 5. All sheep to be carefully handled. Any shearer ill-treating a sheep by kneeling upon, .kicking, compressing tho nostrils, violently wrenching the neck; or otherwise illusing the animal ; or in the habit of making cuts or gashes will be discharged ; and no money shall be paid to such shearer until the termination of the shearing. 6. Any shearer guilty of drunkenness, using obscene or abusive language, or being absent from work without permission, will be fined in sums varying from 5s to 20s at the option of the Superintendent. Any man found bringing grog to the station w ill be discharged. These rules and regulations will be found ample to meet every case. The memorandum of agreement between the owner or manager of the station, and the shearer will set forth the rate of pay, and be binding on the shearer to shear all sheep brought to the shed. It will be observed in the above rules, that I have made provision for more rests or smokes than are generally allowed. The object gained by this must be apparent. Shearers are contractors, the greater number they shear, the bigger the cheque. Bearing in mind the reckless way they work, in many instances, it will be found profitable to make them take as much breathing time as possible, especially in the long summer days.

Parsley properly belongs to the vegetable garden, but it makes a beautiful edging for flower beds, the bright green of its finely curled leaves giving a pretty finish to flowers that lack foliage. Last year a few seeds of the Champion Moss-curled parsley sown in the hot-bed gave us some strong plants that were set out in the border, and proved to be not the least of our possessions. Those ladies who decorate their tables will find parsley a valuable acquisition. The leaves, arranged on a plate or glass fruit dish, make a nice foundation for flat bouquets of balsams, pansies, and other short-stemmed flowers that need to rest on the surface of the «yater. The seed germinates slowly, and one must not be surprised if the plants do not appear for several weeks, so it is best to reserve some corner of a hot-bed for it, or wait until the ground is warm enough to sow in the garden.

John Hislop, Esq., of Duneditf, has been installed "Eiuhl Worakipful Provincial Muster of Now Zealand" in the Fico - Mueon fraternity.