438 MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF SHEEP 



from outside sources. The common view that parasites 

 may be kept well in check through dipping, but cannot be 

 wholly eliminated, is certainly fallacious. It tends to dis- 

 courage the efifort to maintain flocks that shall be wholly 

 free from infestation, and yet it should be possible to 

 maintain such flocks as the rule, and not as the exception. 

 It should be possible to maintain flocks from year to year 

 on the arable farm that would be absolutely free from 

 parasitical invasion, and that would, therefore, be free 

 from the necessity of being dipped. 



Facts that bear upon dipping — The amount of the 

 prepared dip called for cannot be stated, even in an ap- 

 proximate way. It will be at once apparent that the 

 amount of the dip called for will vary: (i) With the num- 

 bers to be dipped ; (2) with the size of the sheep ; and (3) 

 with the amount of wool which they carry. It will be at 

 once apparent that the proportionate amount of dip called 

 for will increase with increase in the numbers of the sheep 

 to be dipped, and vice versa. This will be apparent from 

 the fact that enough prepared dip is called for to sub- 

 merge the sheep before one can be properly dipped. After 

 that quantity has been provided, enough only is to be 

 added to make up for the dip that has been carried away 

 by the sheep after they have left the dripping pens. It 

 is also very evident that a large sheep will carry away 

 more adherent dip than a small one, and that a long fleece 

 will carry away more than a short one, and that a short 

 fleece will carry away more than a sheep but recently de- 

 prived of its wool. The quantity of dip called for may 

 vary from one to four quarts to an animal. 



The renewal of the supply of the dip during the dip- 

 ping process should be carefully provided for. If the sup- 

 ply of the dip were to run low, the outcome would be im- 

 perfect dipping, and a repetition of the dipping in the near 

 future. The dip thus provided as supplemental may also 

 be made to aid in keeping the dip in the vat at a proper 

 temperature. To accomplish this, the dip added should 



