▁several ▁night s ▁until ▁the ▁weather ▁cle ars . ▁Some ▁sheep ▁may ▁also ▁be ▁sh orn ▁with ▁stud ▁comb s ▁commonly ▁known ▁as ▁cover ▁comb s ▁which ▁leave ▁more ▁w ool ▁on ▁the ▁animal ▁in ▁col der ▁months , ▁giving ▁greater ▁protection . ▁ ▁She ep ▁she aring ▁is ▁also ▁considered ▁a ▁sport ▁with ▁compet itions ▁held ▁around ▁the ▁world . ▁It ▁is ▁often ▁done ▁between ▁spring ▁and ▁sum mers . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Bron ze ▁age ▁Cre te ▁ ▁Europe ' s ▁oldest ▁city , ▁Kn oss os , ▁derived ▁its ▁wealth ▁from ▁the ▁sheep ▁w ool ▁industry . ▁The ▁largest ▁group ▁of ▁Linear ▁B ▁table ts ▁is ▁the ▁great ▁archive ▁princip ally ▁of ▁she aring ▁records ▁though ▁also ▁of ▁sheep ▁bre eding . ▁ ▁The ▁medieval ▁English ▁w ool ▁trade ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁factors ▁in ▁the ▁English ▁economy . ▁The ▁main ▁sheep - she aring ▁was ▁an ▁annual ▁mid sum mer ▁( J une ) ▁event ▁in ▁medieval ▁England ▁cul min ating ▁in ▁the ▁sheep - she aring ▁fe ast . ▁It ▁had ▁always ▁been ▁conventional ▁practice ▁to ▁was h ▁sheep . ▁Australia ' s ▁fine ▁w ools ▁In ▁Australia , ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s , ▁squ at ters ▁was hed ▁their ▁sheep ▁in ▁nearby ▁cre eks ▁prior ▁to ▁she aring . ▁Later ▁some ▁expensive ▁hot ▁water ▁install ations ▁were ▁constructed ▁on ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁larger ▁stations ▁for ▁the ▁was hing . ▁Australian ▁grow ers ▁were ▁influenced ▁by ▁the ▁Spanish ▁practice ▁of ▁was hing