672 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [11 Nov., 1912. 



each sheep should be in about a minute. If it is necessary to drive the 

 sheep away from the dip do so quietly, after allowing them to stand under 

 shelter for a time, and avoid dusty roads until they are dry. 



Numerous cas.es have come under notice the last few months of sheep 

 which were dipped after last shearing and are nevertheless carrying ticks 

 or lice. Imperfect dipping, together with the bad time most of them have 

 gone through consequent on the drought, has had a good deal to do with it, 

 the frequently expressed opinion is that "poverty breeds ticks and lice"; 

 and whilst this is not correct it is true that vermin thrive and increase best 

 when their hosts are in low condition. 



On the other hand, the freedom from lice and ticks observed in num- 

 bers of dipped sheep suffering from the effects of the bad season — recent 

 yaraings at Yarck and Nagambie for example — is very encouraging to all 

 advocates of dipping, and goes to prove that poverty is not the only factor 

 to be considered. One of the reasons why dipping does not absolutely 

 eradicate vermin is the practice, followed by some who are not aware that 

 they are infringing the Sheep Dipping Act, of leaving the lambs unshorn 

 and undipped when the ewes are so dealt with ; the majority of the former 

 may be marketed before they can infest dipped sheep, but others fatten 

 late and some are not fattened at all. These are generally shorn and 

 dipped later, but not before they have to some extent reinfested the flock. 

 Granted that it is undesirable to dip lambs nearly fat and intended for 

 early marketing, those which are to be kept any time after the dipping of 

 the flock might well be shorn and dipped with the sheep and thereby 

 secured from grass seeds and freed from vermin ; it should not be detri- 

 mental to their improvement or sale but the reverse, and as all sheep dipped 

 should be immune from contagion from the early lambs up to the time the 

 latter were sold, a great benefit should result to the flock. 



Opinions vary very mucH as to the length of time which should inter- 

 vene between shearing and dipping. Some dip " off the shears," but 

 many prefer to put it off from three to six weeks, and others go so far as 

 to object to the period allowed by the Act, i.e., sixty days, as not long 

 enough. 



Whilst it is no doubt advisable when practicable to allow three or four 

 weeks to elapse, especially in cases of machine shorn sheep, it is, I think, 

 a mistake to leave them undipped longer than six weeks ; and in any 

 case, farmers' sheep should be dipped before harvesting operations are 

 commenced. 



Dipping "off the shears" frequently gives excellent results; as an 

 example, I may instance cases of sheep which are depastured in the moun- 

 tains near Alexandra. There bemg no facilities for holding the sheep 

 near where they were shorn, they were mustered, shorn and dipped straight 

 away and turned out in the hills again, and when mustered and offered for 

 sale recently were found on being handled to be absolutely free from 

 vermin, the wool being clean and bright. 



When practicable, owners of, say, upwards of 200 sheep should have 

 their own dipping baths ; it is a mistake to drive sheep far and have to 

 'return them over dusty roads, after being dipped. The cost of a dip 

 suitable for small flocks is very moderate, portable iron baths are quoted 

 at about jQ"] , and with a small additional cost may be put down and 

 small draining yards provided. Small brick and cement or concrete and 

 cement dips and draining yards may also be constructed at from ;^io to 

 ;^i5, which are permanent and answer the purpose admirably : it is only 

 a question of a little more time in putting the sheep through. 



