The Sun. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1915-1932, 1915-07-23
ny DIR. Leroy -. swInRIc, United States
Research paraaitoloqist.

In recent years the sheep tick has
Increased 30 enormously that every
body interested in the sheep industry
r. looking 10 the government for
means of graduating the pest. Strange
II may seem. but Il has been only two
years since the life history Of this
lance armed. pestiferous. blood suck
ing brute was definitely determined.
II was evident that a successful cam
palgn against the sheep tick could not
be effected without an exact knowi-
edge Of its life cycle The Wyoming |
experiment station recognizing this
directed its parasitologiyt 10 york out
the life history. This he did. finding |
that the complete life Of the tick II
spent on. and at the expense 81. the
sheep. lie further found that the
eggs require from nineteen 60 twenty |
three days under normal conditions
on the sheep TO hatch. while the young |
tick requires only fourteen days In |
which 90 develop and lay lie first egg |
Since none of the sheep dips will XIII
all of the eggs. u appeared from these
facts regarding the life history that
complete eradication OF the tick would
require three clippings. the second 90
be made about fouttcen DAYS after
and the third twenty-four days after
the first II was found. however. by
actual dipping tests that the first dip
ping 20 modifics the life history that
only two clippings twenty-threc days
apart are necessary. provided a good
dip II used.
Requirements OF Zip.
While there are hundreds 81 sheep
dips which might hc used. yet none
n known that n entirely satisfactory.
An ideal dip for the eradication OF the
sheep tick must satisfy many require
ments. II n required that II be cheap.
that II be more poisonous 10 the tick
than Co the sheep. that Il be 80 active
on the tick that there IL no danger OF
n single tick escaping with ita iife
that n either XIII the egg outright or
remain In the wool for three weeks In
such active form 40 to kill the young
ticks when they hatch. that II be- nom
irritating to the Sleeps eyes and skin
that u be free from injury To- the wool
either by way 81 staining II or weak
cning the fiber or changing itH nat.
urai oily texture. that II mix with wa
ter no matter how aikalifcroua II may
be. that Il mix with the official lime
and sulphur dip. which H. ~ deadly Co
the scab mite. hut Inactive on the tick.
that II admit OF convenient applica-
tion. that its strength be undimlnlshcd
during the process OF dipping. that u
be placed In the hands of the sheep
men In uniform strength and that u
be susceptible OF convenient chemical
field tests. The requirements are no
varied and numerous that Il would APP
pear wise Co Invoke the gods before
attempting Co secure an ideal sheep
dip. However. the task does not seem
entirely hopeless when We remember
that there are available some dips that
meet several OF these requiremntz.
Experiments Initiated.
The federal government In cooper
alton with the Utah state board OF
sheep commissioners has recently In
itiated In SAlt Lake city experimental
the main object of which IN 90 discover
dip that viii more nearly or COM
pletely meet the above requirements
The more Ideal the dip II the less dlf-
ficult win Il bc to secure the cooper
alton OF all the sheepmen Ia the cam
pRign against one OF their most In
furious enemies while unthinkahie,
yet II II nevertheless true. that many
OF the Hheepmen actually oppose the
eradication of the sheep tick. For
many long. long years have they and
their fathers who trod the way before
them Ted their sheep ticks TO bloody
fountains OF life and made them 10
lie down In woody pastures SO ac-
customed are they 10 the presence OF
this associate of their flocks that some
OF them doubtless think. as they do re-
gardinK the tapeworm. that the sheep
would be unhealthy without II. And
10 II II important that the simplest
the cheapest and the most effective
dip possible be placed before them.
Not all the sheepmen belong In the
above category. many are anxious even
for compulsory dipping for the sheep
tick. as In the case with acab.
The structure and habits OF the
sheep tick limit In large measure
the choice 81 a dip. There are many
poisons that are cheap. and being
soluble Ia water, might be ideal as
sheep dips. were Il not for the adj
verse structure and habits OF the tick
II Is covered with an impervious
horny skin. which quite efficiently
prevents the passage OF many sub
stances into the tissues There are
four openings through this skin on
the abdomen. and these are connected
with the internal organs by means Of
ramifying, breathing tubes These
are filled with air which prevents the
passage OF fluids that are not volatile.
The result Is that none hut volatile
poisons gain ready access through the
skin 90 the tissues, on the other
hand, volatile substances. though they
may be applied In liquid form, easily
pass through these air tubes 90 the
tissues Many volatile constituents OF
coal tar answer this requirement. but
present the other disadvantage Of be-
ing insoluble in water.
Utah Offers CO-operation.
Were Il not for the blood sucking
habit OF the sheep tick. non-yolatile
poisons. which are soluble In water
might be selected. Since the water
would evaporate from the wool, the
poison would he Deposited uniformly
over the wool fibers and skin. II the
sheep tick subsisted upon the yolk
matter OF the wool rather than the
Sleeps blood. the poison deposited