as affecting Domesticated Animals. 49 



" Havinp; filled the batli, the first lot of sheep are sometimes thrown in one 

 by one until it is full ; but mostly they are precipitated from the pen situated 

 above it by ti[)piug the floor. INIen are placed around the bath, who keep the 

 sheep moving about, and occasionally, by means of crutches with which they 

 are furnished, they pusli the heads of the sheep under the water. The sheep 

 are thoroughly soaked in three or four minutes. 



"The door communicating with the 'run' is then lifted up, and the 

 sheep pushed through it into this passage. On the door being again let down 

 the dip is ready for anotiier lot. The sheep find their way from the ' run ' into 

 the draining-yards, whicli are paved and slightly inclined. These yards being 

 two, the upper one is first filled, and tiie gate then shut. The lower one is 

 next filled, and when this is done the slieep in the upper yard are allowed to 

 go away, those in the lower one taking their place. By this plan we ensure the 

 sheep being thoroughly drained, and also save a good deal ol' the dipping mixture. 



"It is necessarj'' to add fresh liquor from time to time, to keep up both the 

 heat and proper strength, and also to supply the place of that which has been 

 used. The amount required will depend very much upon the length of the 

 animal's wool. The sulphur is kept floating in the bath b}' the agitation of 

 the fluid, by which means it settles in the wool, acting, I have no doubt, as 

 the chief preventive of scab. When this disease exists it is usual to dip the 

 sheep again at the end of a fortnight ; but in my opinion one thoroiKjh soaking 

 is sufiicient, if done in Itot liquor. The tobacco is best boiled in bags, as it is 

 then easily removed from the copper when its strength has been extracted, 

 ieo/" tobacco is, I think, the best ; but all the common sorts are used. Many 

 of the settlers grow their own tobacco, but rather more of this is required, it 

 not being very strong." 



Our experience in clipping sheep would have led to the con- 

 clusion that by such a summary process as here described many 

 of the animals would be destroyed ; but we are assured that such 

 is not the case. Doubtless some are sacrificed, but the numljer 

 cannot be considerable, or the plan would soon be abandoned. 

 Indeed, we have been informed that in several parts of Australia 

 even less care is taken than is mentioned by Mr. Annand, and that 

 the animals are forced so hastily in small lots into pits which are 

 sunk in the ground and filled with decoctions of tobacco, that they 

 often plung-e completely under the fluid. One thing at least we may 

 learn from these proceedings, namely, that sheep may be totally 

 immersed in a tolerably strong decoction of tobacco with but little 

 risk to their lives. We are not, however, to conclude that a bath 

 of the strength named could be safely employed, supposing it to 

 be made with prepared tobacco of commerce. Australian leaf 

 tobacco is employed, and the quantity used would appear to show 

 that it is not very strong. With the shag tobacco of commerce 

 we have rarely ventured, in making a bath, to use more than an 

 ounce to an ounce and a half to the gallon of water. Tobacco, 

 as is well known, varies greatly in strength, and hence it is 

 always " better to err on the safe side." For these reasons farmers 

 should always make their own tobacco-water, and never pur- 

 chase it of the tobacco manufacturers. It frequently happens 

 that such water is valueless, or nearly so, although it is so dark 

 coloured as to mislead the purchaser. 



VOL. I. — S. S. ■ E 



