DIPPING CATTLE 305 



may make this harder, it cannot be shelved indefinitely on that 

 score. However, what concerns us vitally in the meantime is 

 the necessity of suppressing the ticks and doing away with 

 much of the poverty and mortality to stock now being caused 

 by them. To undertake this work each one making the attempt 

 will very soon have his own experience to guide him, but a few 

 suggestions may not come amiss to those about to start. 



" First, put in a good wide dip 6 ft. across at water line. 

 This reduces all risks of cattle injuring each other to a mini- 

 mum, and has every advantage over the narrow dip when 

 working big mobs of cattle. With a good incline and big wide 

 steps on the walk out, the weakest cattle can be dipped with 

 little risk. The draining yard should be long, and from 8 ft. 

 to 12 ft. wide. The cattle walk to the far end, and stand quietly 

 without horning and knocking each other about. Dips should 

 be arranged in such positions on the run that the cattle will 

 not be driven more than 7 or 8 miles. 



" The number of cattle that can be worked through one dip 

 depends entirely on the carrying capacity of any particular 

 area. But on the tableland, sb far, we have found about 2000 

 the limit without having to drive too far. How often cattle 

 should be dipped depends upon the nature of the country, for 

 whereas on certain runs on the Upper and Lower Burdekin it 

 is found necessary to dip every three weeks through the year, 

 there are other places within the tick-infested area that find 

 an occasional dipping suffices. In this men must be guided by 

 their own experience. It is a bad policy to wait until the 

 hair is coming off the cattle. Taking this tableland country, 

 we find that after a good burning in the spring and rain follow- 

 ing in November and December, the ticks are not much in 

 evidence until the following April. It is not possible to dip 

 regularly during the first three months owing to wet weather, 

 but by April the wet season is usually over. This is the time, 

 and from this on to July one can get good results from dipping. 

 This is the very best time to work stock. The grass is good, 

 everything strong, and the weather cool, and the ticks if un- 

 checked are increasing at a great rate. Don't delay until the 

 country is infested ; catch them early while the cattle are 

 strong and healthy, and keep the ticks off and the condition on, 



