Preparing the Wool Fleece for Weighing, Merino Sheep-Shearing Demonstration at Greenfield Village, April 2010

Heavy coats of valuable wool made Merino sheep a popular breed among nineteenth-century wool producers. Every spring, shearers carefully navigated blade shears to remove each sheep's fleece by hand. Shearing as much usable wool as possible was key to maximizing profit, as farmers and wool buyers negotiated a price per pound of wool.