COUNTRYSIDE SKETCHES.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14901, 14 February 1914, Page 2

COUNTRYSIDE SKETCHES.

ASPECTS OP RURAL LIFE

THE GOLDEN FLEECE

lII.— SHEARING

(BT OrK SPECIAL reporter.).

By half-past five in the morning the shearing "board" in the big wool shed is full, apd eighteen keen blades arc making a start upon those sheep which were drafted the evening before. All the pens in the building are filled and the yards outside are packed. Tho big shearing is fairly launched, and it now remains only to pray for an uninterrupted run of fine weather to ensure a speedy completion of tho clip.

Upon this back-block run, where the sheep are pastured upon mountain ranges, and exposed to weather which might at any time be of the most severe description, the sheep are shorn by tho old-fashioned blade shears, and not by machinery. The reason for this is that the blades leave upon tho sheep a little more wool and do not give that shock to the sheep which the absolute "shave" of the machine does. By machine shearing a slightly heavier fleece may be secured, but it is at the risk of the animal's life should bad weather come on after they are turned out upon the hills again. Quito frequently heavy losses have occurred from this exposure, so that all backblock runs still swear by the old hand shears. ON THE BOARD.

Promptly at G. 30 tho day's -work starts. Each one of the eighteen shearers passes into the pen behind his "stand" and emerges with a plunging, struggling animal firmly, grasped by one hind leg. This he adroitly upends upon the floor and holds by tucking its head under his left arm. Very helpless and pathetic the sheep looks in this unusual attitude. Then with firm steady the shearer starts upon his work. ' First of all he clears tho belly of tho animal, where tho wool is lightest, and then passes quickly but carehilly over tho breach. Onwards then to the neck he goes and takes all trimmings off the head.' Now his way is all clear for the mam cutting of the fleece. With quick expert running strokes on these crosshred animals he, cuts back the left side, letting the, fleece fall over in its snowy whiteness as he does so. The same action ip->on tlio right flank, a few clips by way of trimming, and the sheep is shorn. Out through tho shutter it is thrust into the pen below, from whence it is eventually ''tallied" and removed. Tho whole operation has taken just a fraction over three minutes and a half—good time for the first sheep of the day. Later, when his muscles havo become lissom, this first man will put through his sheep in less than three minutes, for ho is one of tho best on the board. .A few rubs of the oil-stone on tho blades of his shears are given, and then he is baclvin the pen dragging forth another victim. With good fortune he will put through one hundred "and sixty to-day. Thirty less will probably be tho average lor tho board. HANDLING THE FLEECE.

Immediately the fleece is freed from tho sheep tho "picker-up," who is an active lad graduating for a "stand,'' darts upon it, quickly rolls it in a special way and carries it down to the classer's table. With a quick flick of his wrists he there spreads tho fleece full length—and the.fulllength of that fleece will be about ten feet by six in width, for wool, of course,* is very elastic. First the slcirter 'or • roller rapidly runs round, removing the belly pieces and stained pieces, which are thrown into separate bins and classed as "seconds." next he runs, up the side and takes off all greasy bits,' discoloured pieces, and neck trimmings, which are classified as "first- nieces.'.'

While this has been going on, the wool classer himself has been handling some portions of the wool, and has classified it in his mind. It may b? cither "super," "halfbred," "first'half-' bred," "second, halfbred." "dingy," or "tbree-quartcrbred." These would I>e the classifications for a crossbred mob of sheep such as this is. with possibly a bin for "sandy wool," if f the country has.provided the sheen with sandy rocks upon which to rub". With merino sheep, of course, the classifications would be somewhat different, but in all cases it is the duty of the classed to frrade the fleeces according to their tenderness, length, and stability, with an eye also to securing a uniform monetary value- Wool-classing is oiie of those occupations in which natural gift counts for a great deal. To know whether a fleece is a "CO or "64"—this requires just that little gift of instinct which can be secured only by practice and never from text-books. The technical reference to 60V and 64's means that •in the one case one pound of wool will spin sixty standard-length'skeins; and in .the other sixty-four skeins.

A scene of crude strength and human vigour—that is the dominating noto of that wooished as the shearing proceeds. The shearers on each side are fascinating both by their striking skill and speed, and. by the picture of concentrated ' energy which they present. Everything is down to essentials, and thero is no veneer of la-dai-da-ism about. They are all brawny men, with great arms and huge 6trorig hands calloused marvellously by the grip of the shears. No other handicraft gives such terrific callouses as does shearing. Just ima!l ie the grip required to clip, clip, clip hour after hour right through a long season.

So in the stifling heat these men toil. Their clothes are the oldest possible. Some have sacking "wads" to save their Boots; all have old trousers which are unspoilable by tho gripping of sheep: the arras oP all bare and rugged and massive as they clip from the sheep that golden fleece for passage oversea. Perspiration streams from them. A big sheep kicks. "Quiet, you —," growls the shearer as ho re-settles his holding hand and grips tighter with his knees. Again it jerks and struggles, and again the shearer —er —well, asks it to be still. Elemental,- vigorous, strong—euch'is the -n-Jiole scene. On every side proceeds part of the organised activity for this "harvesting" of the wool. The boys run to and from with loaded arms, or make a dab with the tar stick at a snipned skin; the elassers calmly send this fleece here and that yonder: the pressors heave and strain at jacking down a bale—and the waiting sheen respond sadly to that melancholy "ba-a" with which the despoiled victim generally welcomes the open air., > In this wise it* the wool clip of New Zealand gathered, v