CATTLE TICK CURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19195, 8 December 1925, Page 14

CATTLE TICK CURE.

METHODS OF DIPPING. EXPERIENCE IN NORTH. BENEFICIAL EFFECT ON MILK. Some observations on the question of tho cattle tick menace and the methods of combating it were made to a Taranaki News representative at Ilawera last week by one who has had extensive experience as an inspector of stock in the North Auckland district. The erection of dips by Government subsidised funds was not advised, for various reasons, 'I ho Government, the informant said, subsidised £1 for £1 up to £3OO, and it was estimated that- the proposed dip at Waitara would cost £350, providing the Government specifications were carried out, as would be necessary if the subsidy was accepted. In the North Auckland district the Government-subsidised dips had cost up to £BOO, »ml in no case with subsidised dips had the cost been less than ' £450. An efficient dip, it was stated, could be erected for from £IOO to £l5O, and cases of dips having actually been erected at this cost were given, Mr. W. Simpkins, of Arapohue, having built a dip for £l4O and Mr. T. C. Clotworthv, of Pukehuia, having erected one for £IOO. The method of erecting private dips in North Auckland was for, say, 20 people to form a company and build the dip and then to make a email jharge for dipping, the members of the- company to extinguish their outlay by paying no charge for dipping. The tick, continued tho man with experience, was not killed by the actual emersioa in th® dip. After being emersed the tick took its food off the dipped animal and was poisoned through its food channels. "Cattle/will pick up the tick," he continued, "five or seven days after being dipped, so that in tick-infested areas cattle require dipping fairly often •in the course of the season. Tho tick generally makes its appearance about July, and at this period the first stage, known as the seed stage, commences, the tick then being so minute as to be difficult of perception by the eye. "Apart from the benefit of dipping to combat the tick menace, dipping is beneficial to stock even if no ticks are in evidence. The dip cleans up the skin and acts as a valuable tonic by the absorption through the pores of the skin of the arsenic solution. At Mr. Murdoch's farm at Tangitiroria a 20 days' test was made on dairy cows badly infested with ticks. During "the 10 days prior to the dipping [ a careful check was taken of the butterfat received from the herd. During the whole period of 20 days no rain fell. The benefits received by Mr- Murdoch were that, after allowing for the cost of dip- ; ping and labour charges, the increase in butter-fat in the 10 days after dipping returned a profit of £2 4s.