The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-05-30
CHEAP SHEEP DIP.
Nothing Like the Kerosene Emulsion For
Sheep, Cattle and Hogs.

Nothing Like the Kerosene Emulsion For
| Sheep, Cattle and Hogs.
have already shown by experiments
that kerosene emulsion is cheap and eff
fectual remedy for the destruction Of
lice that infest cattle and hogs. During
the past summsr ] was enabled to test
kerosene emulsion as sheep dip. 1t has
been customary each year Just after
shearing to treat the sheep upon the
farm where experimental with one Of
the standard sheep dips sold upon the
market, 80 the sheep were very free from
ticks. But as there can be no Doubt as
to the power Of the emulsion to kill the
ticks it was thought to be well worth
while to determine whether or not it
could be safely applied to sheep as well
as to cattle and hogs for the destruction
Of parasites
Forty large full blooded Shropshire
sheep and IS early lambs were treated.
The applications were made June 90, at
which time the wool upon the sheep was
half inch and the wool upon the lambs
fully II inches in length. These condi-
tons made the test severe one, as the
chances Of removing the fleece or other
wise injuring the sheep were far greater
than If the treatment had been made at
shearing time. The emulsion was also
made strong, 8 per cent of the whole
being kerosene. This is probably twice
as strong as is necessary to kill ticks on
sheep.
During the treatment man stood in
the dipping vat with the emulsion nearly
waist deep to begin with, and he thor
oughly drenched every sheep put into it.
On account OF the men being ready to
dip the sheep before the emulsion was
prepared, the latter was made rather too
hurriedly, and it was noticed that a thin
layer of free oil rose to the top Of the
emulsion before the first sheep was put
in, which with good emulsion would
not have occurred. The old sheep were
dipped first and the lambs afterward.
The result was that three or four of the
first sheep put in lost patches of wool
from their backs and sides, amounting
in all, as near as I could estimate, to one
half Of the wool Of one Sheep Aside
from this no harm was done. The lambs
with feeces heavy enough to be sheared
lost no wool whatever.
The man who stood in the vat to dip
the sheep experienced, no unpleasant re-
suits from having stood in the emulsion
for an hour. The actual amount Of the
dip used in treating these SO sheep and
lambs was about 80 gallons, the cost OF
which was Sill. This would be an av-
erage of little less than 2 cents for each
sheep. Had the sheep been treated at
shearing time, much less material would
have been used. A 5 per cent emulsion
would undoubtedly be strong enough to
destroy ticks or other parasites upon
sheep. Such an emulsion, with kerosene
at 10 cents gallon and soap at 10 cents
pound, would cost 875 cents for 100
gallons. This would make the cost Of
the. emulsion, when used as above, is
cents sheep.
This emulsion is effective in destroy
ing all of the insects for which dipping
is resorted to. The scab parasite, ticks,
lice and maggots all succumb to the de-
stroying power Of the kerosene. The dip
it remains in the wool after dipping and
prevents the lodgment of insects for all
time to come, as is claimed for some of
the commercial dips, but this is not nee
essary where dipping is done every year,
as it is in all we'll regulated focks.
The precautions to be observed in u.s.
ing the emulsion dip are to not make it
too strong and to see that it is perfectly
emulsifed. II too much kerosene is
used, it is likely to take off the wool,
and the result will be the same if the
emulsion is imperfect. An emulsion
made at the rate Of gallons Of kero-
sene, half pound of soap and gallon
of water, churned together end added to |
80 or 40 gallons Of water after churning,
will be strong enough to accomplish ali |
that is desired. -Professor G. P. Gillette |