Rensselaer Union, Volume 3, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 January 1871 — What to Do with Sheep Pelts. [ARTICLE]

What to Do with Sheep Pelts.

Should the flock master be so situated that he fl nds no profitable market tor his sheep pclU, he can arrange to “pull ” them himself, with very little trouble and no great amount of labor. The following process is a very good one: The pelts should lie soaked until thoroughly softened —say from twenty-four to forty houro — a M pd, if possible, in running water. A latticed or perforated box sunk into a stream will answer for a vat. From this they should lx: hung in a close, warm room —a tight cellar, for instance. If no such room is available, a tight tx»x can be used. The breech end of the pelt should be tacked to a stick or lath, and these hung as closely as can be, without touching. They will pretty soon begin to ferment, and as soon as they are tender enough to shed the wool easily—which can Ims ascertained -Uy tryinga lock with the thumb knd finger —they must be pulled. A pulling “ horse ” can be extemporized thus: take a smooth log, five or six feet long, and about a foot in diameter; split through the center, and in one erjd put-two legs two feet long, leaving the round side uppermost, one end resting on the ground. Place the pelt on this "horse,” with the wool side up, and if in proper order, the wool can lie scraped from it in less time than it takes to read these directions. For scraping the wool off, a large wooden knife—a “skiver” —is best, as it answers every purpose and docs not endanger the skin. The wool should be dried as soon as it can be, to avoid moulding, and is then ready to be sacked for market. Care should be taken that the skin does not rot before the process of pulling, or the cuticle will adhere to the roots of the wool, making it unsightly, and consequently unsalable. Pulled wools are always in demand for the manufacture of flannels, and suchgoods as can be made from unsorted material, and usually commands prices varying but little from that of brook washed fleeces.— Wentern Ratal.