12 



FARMERS BULLETIN 909. 



plus the amount required to charge the vat, should equal the total 

 amount required, if none is lost by leakage or otherwise wasted. 



The capacity of the vat is usually obtained in the following man- 

 ner: Multiply the average length by the average width in inches, 

 then the product by the depth; this will give approximately the 

 number of cubic inches of space to be filled with dip. Divide this 

 by 231 (the number of cubic inches in a gallon), and the result will 

 be approximately the number of gallons of dip required to charge 

 the vat. 



To obtain the average length, add the length at the bottom to the 

 length at the top (that is, at the line to which the vat is to be filled), 

 and divide this sum by 2. Obtain the aver- 

 age width in the same manner. The depth 

 should be taken at the center of the vat, and 

 should be from bottom to dip line only and 

 not to the top of the vat. Likewise, in de- 

 termining the length and width, measure only 

 the space to be filled with liquid and not above 

 that line. The capacities of the various tanks 

 are obtained by a like process. Gauges or 

 rods should be prepared and marked to show 

 the number of gallons at various depths in the 

 vat and tanks. 



After the vat is filled to the required depth 

 the contents should be mixed well by stirring, 

 in order that the dip may be of uniform 

 strength throughout. A good method of 

 stirring dip is to take a pail or an empty dip 

 container in which a wire bail has been fas- 

 tened, attach a rope or dipping fork to the 

 plunger bail, allow the vessel to fill and partially sink, 

 then drag it rapidly from one end of the vat 

 to the other, repeating the operation several 

 times. Stirring plungers also are useful implements, and as they 

 are easily made, one or more should be provided at every vat. Their 

 use is similar to that of the dasher of an old-fashioned hand churn. 

 The plunger is pushed to the bottom of the vat and raised rapidly, 

 the process being repeated as the operator moves slowly along the 

 vat. The style shown in figure 7 is one commonly used. 



Before beginning dipping operations the pens, chutes, slide board, 

 vat, etc., should be examined for projecting nails, broken boards, or 

 any object that may puncture or wound the cattle, as the dip may 

 injure those having fresh wounds. The animals should be handled as 

 carefully as possible, although in dipping wild range cattle the at- 

 tendants can exercise very little control in the matter. Range cattle, 



FIG. 7. Stirring 



for mixing liquids in the 

 vat. 



