October, '12] MOORE: AFRICAN TICK PROBLEM 383 



Dipping. The usual and tlie most successful method employed in 

 South Africa against ticks is dipping. A large trough is used through 

 which the cattle are made to swim. A fenced passage which is divided 

 several times by gates, leads up to the entrance of the dipping tank. 

 By means of gates the number of animals approaching the dip can be 

 regulated until 6nly one passes into the dip at a time. A steep incline 

 causes the animal to slip into the dipping fluid through which it swims 

 to the other side, which is furnished with steps by which the animal 

 can easily climb out. 



There are a number of patent dipping fluids on the market, but the 

 one found most useful is that recommended by Pitchford, which is 



5 1-2 lbs. of soft soap. 

 2 gallons kerosene. 

 8 1-2 lbs. arsenite of soda. 

 400 gallons of water. 



Even dipping has its disadvantages, if the farmer has many species 

 of ticks which he is desirous of destroying. If only B. decoloratus is 

 to be destroyed, dipping every three weeks will catch all the ticks, 

 which attach themselves to the animal. R. evertsi — as is seen from the 

 life cycle, only remains on the animal for a period of six or ten days as 

 an adult. In order therefore to destroy all which may attach them- 

 selves^ — the dipping would have to be done every week. If the farmer 

 also wishes to destroy the brown ticks, Rhipicephalus sps. — he would 

 need to dip every three days to insure killing every tick which would 

 attach itself to his animals. In order to make dipping every three 

 days possible, the above formula has been modified to: 



3 lbs. soft soap. 

 1 gal. kerosene. 



4 lbs. arsenite of soda (20 percent arsenic). 

 400 gals, water. 



Where wild animals are abundant on the farm, (they may far out- 

 number the stock animals) — the chances are that many ticks will be 

 carried along upon them and never be destroyed by the dip. Heavy 

 stocking the farm and frequent dipping however will greatly reduce 

 the number of ticks. Where the farmer has his cattle grazing over 

 one or two thousand acres, and must collect these and drive them 

 through the dip every three days, it is found that it seriously interferes 

 with any other farming operations in which he is engaged. It would 

 seem, however, that, should dipping be done every week, although all 

 the ticks which would attach themselves to the animal would not be 

 killed, still by the law of chance, ticks which escaped the dip at one 



