56G Transactions of the 



ping it Bay four inches, Bhingle fashion, and thus continue; forming the 

 floor of the lane, each sixteen-foot plank forming fifteen feet four inches 

 of floor. Pains should be taken to preserve the uniform gradual rate 

 of ascent, the planks being supported at every lour feet. Now strike 

 two chalk lines, six inches apart, up the center of the lane — thus divid- 

 ing the floor into three Strips, the two at the sides being lour inches 

 wide, and the center one six inches wide. Next take one-inch lumber, 

 twelve inches wide and sixteen feet long, and set on edge along the 

 chalk lines — the lower edges to be "toed in" to the floor, and the top 

 edges nailed to each side of the lane. These side boards cause the 

 liquid dripping from the sheep to run down to the center (six-inch 

 space) of the floor — which, by the way, is a width ample for the sheep 

 to walk on. If this lane be built by a carpenter the lower edges of 

 these side boards will be leveled, so as to fit snug upon the floor. If 

 this lane and dipping apparatus can be built on the slope of a hill, and 

 alongside of a fence, ascending the hill, it will be a material advantage, 

 as the lane then can be built much longer, and the fence serves for one 

 side of it, ready made. There must be such a corral around the dipping 

 trough that the sheep can be driven through the trough. With wild 

 active sheep, it may be needful to have a screen of boards on each side 

 of the trough, so as to keep the liquid from splashing out upon the 

 ground. The " wash " should be kept just deep enough to swim the 

 sheep. How to heat it and keep it heated, I leave to the reader; prob- 

 ably the simplest way is by introducing hot stones. But where a head 

 of water is available I should never rest till things were so arranged 

 that by turning a faucet I could have hot or cold water at will. 



This plan of constructing a dipping lane has several advantages over 

 others. With some pens, it is needful to wait till the last sheep dipped 

 is drained before the pen full of sheep can be let out. In this lane each 

 sheep moves out in the order in which it was dipped, and by simply shut- 

 ting back the last two or three as they come to the end of the lane, you 

 can go on working at the trough; or with a sufficiently long lane, a 

 continual line of sheep can be kept moving. There are no joints in the 

 floor to shrink open between one season's dipping and the next; and, on 

 this consideration, I should, perhaps, lay the greatest stress. The floor 

 planks overlay each other like so many shingles, and nothing but a 

 check or split in the plank can cause a leak, even though the structure 

 stand exposed to the sun aud rain for years. 



SULPHUR AND SALT. 



Simultaneously with the external applications, I give salt and sulphur 

 freely, mixing in about equal bulks. The crude California sulphur will 

 serve, which comes in great blocks, and costs but a few cents per pound. 

 It need not be pulverized; if broken into pieces the size of a walnut, it 

 is sufficient. The sheep gnaw and munch at these with apparent relish. 

 After the external applications are concluded, I would continue to give 

 some sulphur with the salt during the remainder of Summer. After the 

 rains set in the sulphur should be discontinued. 



Subjoined are several recipes for preparing 



SHEEP WASHES 



For the cure of scab: 



First— Simple decoction of tobacco, mado strong — using say twenty- 

 five pounds of leaf to one hundred gallons of water. 



