546 DISEASES OF CATTLE, SHEEP, 00 ATS, ETC. 



Crutches should be 5 or 6 feet long. The handle should be strong 

 (rake handles are a little too light). One end is provided with an 

 iron ferrule, into which the bent iron is inserted. The iron should 

 be one-half inch round or three-quarters inch half round. 



Gauges. The capacity of tubs should be plainly marked on 

 the side every 3 or 6 inches, in order to correctly measure the 

 amount of liquid. 



Small Portable Vats for Small Flocks. If no regular dipping 

 vat is at hand, a good-sized tub may be used. Dipping in this 

 manner is slow and tedious, but may be resorted to in case of neces- 

 sity, as, for instance, when a few sheep are bought from another 

 flock which is not known to be absolutely free from scab. If care is 

 taken to dip thoroughly the dipping may be done as effectually in 

 such a tub as it could be done in a large vat. Recourse to ordinary 

 tubs is not advised, however, when it is possible to use regular dip- 

 ping vats. Lambs may, in case of necessity, be dipped in troughs. 



A small portable vat is suitable for use in dipping small flocks. 

 When not in use this vat may be conveniently stored away. An ad- 

 vantage connected with this vat is that it may be drawn from place 

 to place as desired. The dimensions here given may be varied, ac- 

 cording to individual taste, by making the vat longer, broader, or 

 deeper. A convenient size will be 9 feet long by 2^> feet broad at 

 the top, 9 inches broad at the bottom, and S 1 /^ to 5 feet deep; the 

 floor measures 9 inches broad by 4 feet long ; from 1 foot above one 

 end of the floor a slant with cross cleats rises to the top and end of 

 the vat. The sheep are dropped in by hand, one at a time, at the 

 deep end, and after being held in the dip for two minutes are al- 

 lowed to leave the vat at the slanting end. They are held a moment 

 on the slant to allow them to drain off, thus economizing in dip. A 

 gate may be placed at the deeper part of the slant if desired, in order 

 to save labor. This gate should swing toward the exit of the vat. 

 Such a tank may be made of 1^2 inch pine boards, with tongue and 

 groove, and should be well pitched or painted. 



This plan of vat may be easily modified, if desired, so as to have 

 a small dripping platform attached. In this modified plan an in- 

 clined platform is added to the vat and a removable skeleton box is 

 made to fit over it. While one sheep is being dipped another sheep 

 is allowed to ascend the incline into the small dripping pen. When 

 the sheep is sufficiently drained the gate is opened, it leaves the pen, 

 the gate is closed, the sheep in the vat enters the pen, and another 

 sheep is placed in the vat. 



DIPPING PLANTS WHICH CAN BE UTILIZED FOR LARGE FLOCKS. 



Where large numbers of sheep are to be dipped, receiving pens 

 close to the dipping vat are necessary, and of course the number and 

 size of the pens vary with the number of sheep to be handled. The 

 yards may be either square or oblong, or they may be circular. The 

 square or oblong yards are simple in construction, and need no other 

 description than that furnished by the illustrations. 



Dipping Vats. The dipping vat may be made on several differ- 

 ent plans the single oblong straight vat, the double or triple, with 



