FORMS OF DIPPERS 



657 



i ton. A patent gate, with supports to be built into the 

 bath, as shown, is supplied by the Coopers for the sum of 

 1, 7s. 6d. The draining floor may be increased to any size 

 desired. The larger it is, the more complete is the draining 

 of the sheep. 



A dipper consists of a mustering fold, a tank, and a 

 dripper (see plan, page 658). The tank may be built of 

 bricks drawn with cement, and may have a concrete floor. 

 The old-fashioned tub into which sheep are turned on their 

 backs is not to be commended. Heavy sheep are liable to 

 be injured in lifting. The best form of fixed tank on a large 



EXIT GATE' 



ENTRANCE GATE" 



FIG. 57.THE DIVIDED SWIM BATH. 



Designed to effect a great saving in cost of construction. 



scale is made wide enough to permit a sheep to swim through 

 without being able to turn: a suitable size is 15 to 20 feet 

 long at the top (in the Colonies 30 to 40 feet or more), 5 feet 

 deep at the plunge-end and for one-third of its length, and 

 then gradually sloping out to the dripper at the exit-end. 

 Sheep are not lifted, but pushed forward and plunged one 

 by one over the head. As they go in they close their lips, 

 and on coming up swim slowly through. They should 

 remain in the tank about a minute, or till the wool is 

 thoroughly soaked. The men employed are liable to let 

 them go too quickly, and one should be stationed at a 

 convenient place with a forked stick or crutch to regulate 

 the rate at which the sheep swim. The excess of dipping 

 solution runs off the sheep to the floor of the dripper, and 



2 T 



