Dipping. 71 



its own efforts to rid itself of the pests by rubbing 

 against fences, etc., tea.rs and loses a deal of its fleece and 

 ceases to thrive properly. 



Though experience clearly proves the necessity for 

 dipping sheep, there are, nevertheless, some points in 

 connection with the manner in which the work is carried 

 out that tend to show an insufficient appreciation of the 

 great benefits to be derived from a thorough perform- 

 ance of the operation. It is a most striking fact that a 

 very large proportion of sheep owners do not devote 

 care in performing the work. While every experienced 

 sheep farmer admits the necessity for dipping, probably 

 not 20 in 100 fully realise that it is of primary import- 

 ance to have the work well done to insure the most 

 profitable results. No matter what preparation may be 

 used the manner in which it is used is only second in 

 importance to the intrinsic merits of the preparation 

 itself. To anyone familiar with the work of a sheep 

 farm, thoroughness in dipping sheep is singularly want- 

 ing, and he cannot but observe that the majority of 

 dippers simply " run the sheep " through the bath, tak- 

 ing it for granted that by ostensibly complying with the 

 law and getting the unpleasant work over, some miracle 

 will secure the satisfactory results. This but stultifies 

 the benefits that science and skill place at the door of 

 the sheep farmer. 



It is needless to set forth all the conditions for 

 complete success in sheep dipping, seeing that whatever 

 is the brand or make it is the custom to attach directions 

 for use on every packet or drum. One or two of these 

 conditions, however, are of such leading importance that 

 brief reference may be made to them. The first is to 

 exercise sufficient care in mixing the preparation ; to use 

 measurements and not guesses ; and to thoroughly dis- 

 tribute the dip throughout the bath water at just the 

 direction strength. Another point is to keep the water 

 thoroughly stirred during the dipping, for the reason 



