22 



swimming against those in front, may be so great as to seriously inter- 

 fere with the proper handling of the animals while in the vat. 



The incline or slide at the entrance end of the dipping vat should 

 start on a level with the ground or chute, and extend below the sur- 

 face of the dip. The pitch or drop of the incline is indicated in the 

 accompanying diagram (fig. 7), and should be no more than is neces- 

 sary to prevent the cattle from standing still or backing up when on 

 it. The floor of the incline should be made of smooth, hard lumber 

 that will be slippery, and while in use should be kept wet with the 

 dip. If of soft wood or masonry, it must be covered with sheet steel 

 or galvanized iron. The chute connecting with the incline at the entrance 

 of the vat need only be long enough to afford ample room for the number 

 of cattle that will be placed in the dip at one swim. When the dipping 

 vat is filled with cattle the chute should be at once refilled with the 

 number of cattle required for the next swim. At the proper time 

 these cattle are released from the chute into the dipping vat, and the 

 process repeated. This method insures having the proper number of 

 cattle in the vat at each swim, and prevents overcrowding and conse- 

 quent accidents, which may happen with long chutes filled with cattle 

 when the cattle become frightened and the men lose control of them. 



To prevent the cattle from leaving the vat until the proper time, a 

 gate must be placed at the foot of the incline leading out of the dip- 

 ping vat, and this gate should be so constructed that it will slide uf- 

 and down in a frame built for that purpose. As the gate must be 

 strong and heavy it should be counterweighted, so that one man can 

 work it easily. 



When cattle are going into the dipping vat they will often jump 

 from the incline as far forward in the vat as they can, sometimes 

 alighting on the backs of cattle that have preceded them into the vat 

 and injuring them. This can be prevented by hanging a curtain across 

 the vat in such a manner that it will prevent the animal from seeing 

 the vat in front of the curtain, and he will therefore see no place to 

 jump to. The curtain should be hung about 6 or T feet in front of the 

 foot of the incline leading into the vat, with the bottom about 2 or 3 

 inches above the surface of the dip, the object being to induce the 

 animal to endeavor to pass under the curtain instead of striking 

 against it. The lower part of the curtain must be made of cloth or 

 similar material. Empty sulphur sacks will answer. But the upper 

 part should be made of light wood to prevent the wind from blowing 

 the curtain out of position. If wood is used for the upper part of the 

 curtain, it must be hung on pivots, so that it will yield readily if an 

 animal strikes against it. 



152 



