DR. LEGEAR'S STOCK BOOK. 297 



applied as by dipping. A large vat or tank is constructed, lead- 

 ing to which is a narrow chute and trap door, by which the 

 cattle are plunged into the solution in the tank and made to 

 swim out at the other side. Various preparations have been tried, 

 to make the solution in the tank, such as crude carbolic acid, 

 tobacco, chloro-naptholeum, cotton seed oil, etc. With some, 

 the oily preparations have proven very satisfactory, while others 

 claim it is not a sure remedy. 



For dairy cows and for gentle farm cattle the ticks can be de- 

 stroyed by painting the cattle with 15 parts crude carbolic acid 

 dissolved in 80 parts of crude cottonseed oil. 



Extensive experiments have been made with the dipping of 

 cattle for the eradication of ticks by Dr. Francis, at College Sta- 

 tion, Texas, and by Mr. R. J. Kleberg, of Alice, Texas. We 

 think we can not do better here than to quote some of Dr. Fran- 

 cis' remarks on dipping cattle: 



"The destruction of these parasites on the bodies of our cattle 

 has engaged a large share of our attention for several years. It 

 is evident that whatever means be adopted, it is of first import- 

 ance that every tick be reached. This is accomplished by forc- 

 ing the cattle to swim through a large dipping vat, somewhat 

 similar to the dipping process employed against certain para- 

 sites of sheep. The device consists of a large wooden vat, about 

 ten feet deep and forty feet long, having a working capacity of 

 about five thousand gallons. It is constructed in a large trench 

 so that the lower two-thirds is below the ground line. The en- 

 trance is through a narrow chute at the end of which there is 

 provided a trap door balanced over the end of the vat, so that 

 when the animal passes through the chute ,and arrives on the 

 trap, the latter tilts, and the animal, losing its balance, plunges 

 into the vat. The animal is almost always completely sub- 

 merged, thus bringing the solution in contact with its entire 

 body. On rising to the surface it swims to the exit, which is 



