770 Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. [Nov. 2, 1920. 



What now remains to be proved is whether the heavier body and coarser 



flesh of the Dorset Horn ci'osses are as valuable in the aggregate as t'.ie lighter 



carcase but superior flesh of the South Down, or whether the Shropshire 



is more valuable than either. For this information readers must be referred 



to further tables giving the weights of the (Jiff"erent crosses at the time of 



marketing, and alsu the prices which they fetched. That phase of the investi- 



fation will form a sepai"ate part of this article for next month. Meantime 



the accompanying graphs illustrate the monthly development of the various 



combinations. 



(Ih be cotUinued.) 



A Co-operative Sheep Dip. 



Co-operatively-owned sheep dips are fairly common in Victoria, but one 

 started in South Australia in 1917 by the Riverton branch of the Agricultural 

 Bureau has interest for members of the Bureau in New South Wales. 



The (lip was financed by floating shares at £l each, the minimum sub- 

 scription being £1 and the maximum £5. Approval was obtained for the 

 erection of the dip on a Government water reserve, which was proclaimed a 

 reserve for the purpose, without rent to the society. The plans for the 

 construction of the dip were supplied by the Department of Agriculture, 

 and the total cost of erection was £109 8s.' 



The manaseiii'^nr, is vested in a committee of nine, including secretary and 

 manager. The manager prepares the dip, assists in the dipping, and notifies 

 owners when to bring their sheep in ; and he is paid according to the time 

 he is employed. The company supplies the dipping solution, and the owners 

 of the sheep supply the labour, it being customary for owners to assist each 

 other. -Members are charged one penny per head, and non-memters £1 for 

 the first hundred, and 12s. 6d. for each additional hundred. 



In the first year, 1917-18, as a result of dipping 6,726 sheep, the credit 

 balance at the end of the season was £3 Is. 4d. In 1918-19, 15,680 sheep 

 were dipped, and the balance was £20. In 1919-20, 14,441 sheep were 

 dipped, and the credit balance was £60. 



At the outset the schc^me n^et with considerable opposition from some local 

 farmers who declared they could dip mure cheaply privately ; but at a later 

 stage these farmers applied for and obtained permission to use the dip. 



After interest at current rates has been paid to subscribers, a refund to 

 members, on the basis of the number of sheep dipped, will materially reduce 

 the actual cost of dipping. — C. C. Crane, Organising Inspector of Agricultural 

 Bureau. 



Basic Super and Superphosphate. 



The diflerence between superphos})hate and basic super lies in the greater 

 solubility and consequently more rapid action of the former. Both sub- 

 stances contain considerable quantities of lime in the form of phosphate of 

 lime and sulphate of lime. Basic super will probably be found more bene- 

 ficial on soils inclincid to be sour.' If it is desired to combine the ra2)id action 

 of the superphosphate with the more lasting effects of the basic super, the 

 two can be mixed. — F. B. Guthrie. 



