296 QUEENSLAND AGRIicULbURAL JOURNAL. [1 Man., 1899. 
The Hort Worth Stockyards Company placed its vat at the disposal of 
the bureau, and the first experiment in accordance with these new ideas was 
made at that point. To be brief it was found that the oil and sulphur mixture, 
with no water in the vat, was entirely successful, and that all of the ticks were 
killed at a single dipping. The mixture appears to have more than a mechanical 
action ; it penetrates the tick’s body, causes it to dry and shrivel, and transforms 
it into a hard, brittle substance. 
Dipping, according to this method, has been in operation during the past 
season at Fort Worth, Tex.; Mammoth Springs, Ark.; and at East St. Louis, 
Iil., under the supervision of the Bureau of Animal Industry, and in Oklahoma 
under the direction of the live-stock sanitary authorities. Asis usual in the early 
stages of a new enterprise, so different from anything previously practised, 
there have been unexpected losses. These losses have not been so heavy as to 
injure the prospects of this method of treating southern cattle, but they have been 
heavy enough to indicate that greater care in handling the animals and some 
improvements in details are desirable. These will unquestionably come, ag those 
engaged in the dipping are familiarised with the requirements. 
The first lot, consisting of 311 steers, was dipped at Fort Worth on the 
evening of 22nd July, 1898, and was shipped for Rockford, IIl., at 4°15 the 
following morning. Some of the cars appear to have been too crowded, 
considering the heat which was then prevailing. When the train arrived at 
Denison, Tex., at 8:30 a.m., the cattle exhibited no inconvenience from the 
dipping other than aslight inflammation of the eyes, and those in cars loosely 
loaded were lying down and ruminating. Many of the ticks had already 
dropped off, and those remaining showed no signs of life. 
As the heat increased many of the animals began to suffer, and by noon 
some were panting with the head down and tongue protruding. The irritation 
of the eyes was aggravated, and the thin parts of the skin on light-coloured 
animals showed redness. By 4 o’clock the heat was intense, and some of the 
animals were prostrated. At 6°30 three were dead and six unable to stand. 
The ticks were dark in colour and all dead. 
During the night, as it became cooler, the cattle became more comfortable, 
though some were so exhausted by the heat of the day and tho slippery 
condition of the cars that they would not remain standing, and consequently 
were bruised by trampling. They were unloaded at Parsons, Kan., at 3 a.m., 
24th July, where five dead and four “ downers” were left. They were again 
unloaded at Sedalia, Mo., at 6 p.-m., where there were three more dead and 
one “ downer.” Upon reaching Galesburg, Il., 10 p-m., 25th July, they were 
again unloaded and three “downers” were left. They reached their destination, 
Rockford, Il., at 9 p.m., 26th July, the unloading not being completed until 
12°30 a.m. of 27th July. There were four “downers” on this last tun. Of 
the 311 head loaded 298 arrived at Rockford, four being down and all stiff 
and sore. The losses were principally due to the extreme heat of the first 
day’s travel. 
These cattle were visited and inspected 24th to 27th September, when both 
the southern animals and the natives with which they were pastured were 
found healthy. ‘There were no ticks upon any of the animals, and the parties 
in charge reported that no living ticks had’ been discovered. The southern 
cattle shaved a marked improvement over their condition before dipping. 
At Mammoth Springs, Ark., 623 animals in all were dipped, the loss being 
two calves drowned in the vat and nine calves which died after dipping. This 
lot of nineteen calves were emaciated and affected with diarrhoea before dipping, 
and should not have been allowed to go through the vat. The remaining cattle 
did well, and the ticks were all destroyed. Here, also, the oil irritated the 
skin and eyes of the cattle more or less, but not to such a degree as to proye a 
serious objection to the dipping. 
