What the Dip means to the Desert 



sunk to under 5 per cent. Let us listen to 

 Mr Baynes on this matter : " Before I began to 

 dip I used to ask myself the question as I went 

 amongst my cattle, c Notwithstanding all your 

 efforts to improve your herd and your costly 

 importations are you making any headway ? 

 Don't you realise that your occupation is 

 merely feeding ticks ? ' And but for the hope 

 that sooner or later I would eradicate the tick 

 I would have abandoned farming in this 

 country years ago." At Nels Rust once a week 

 all through the year every animal goes through 

 the dip, with the exception of the merino sheep, 

 which are dipped after clipping. Horses are 

 dipped in the same way as the cattle. Mr 

 Baynes continued : " At Nels Rust all the cattle 

 of my natives, over a thousand head, are put 

 through the dip every week. My natives are 

 eager to dip their cattle without any form of 

 compulsion, because they realise that by so 

 doing they are safeguarding them from the 

 disease. And I see no reason why all the cattle 

 of all the natives in the Union of South Africa 

 should not be dipped in like manner. By 

 tactful handling and itinerant headmen to 

 explain matters the Government could soon 

 persuade the natives to dip their cattle, and so 



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