ONE morning a week or two ago I caught a snatch from a report on the radio in which an attack was being made on the dipping of sheep. Now, shepherds and sheep farmers of my generation have been dipping sheep for 60 years and more, so it should be fair to claim we knew a "li'le" bit about it.

From what I could gather it appeared that some of the fishermen of Eden were calling for a total ban on the dipping of sheep. I can only surmise that they took the view that sheep dip was responsible for affecting if not killing some of the fish. One can understand their concern and indeed no-one would make light of it. However, to call for an outright ban of dipping does smack of a knee-jerk reaction. Believe me, nobody dips sheep for fun; it is a lengthy, arduous and expensive task.

As long as we are talking about autumn or winter, then that would mean sheep are being dipped to control and prevent sheep scab. I always took the view that it was the farmer's job to get rid of sheep scab and no-one else's and, of course, we did, just as farmers got rid of TB in cattle. But it is not the job of famers to guard the ports and other methods of entry into the UK, that is the job of Government.

So it has to be said that, although we had cleared scab from our country, it was allowed in from Ireland. I learned this in my early NFU days but I never knew any details.

We believe that although there are alternatives, the only really satisfactory way to prevent, control and to get rid of sheep scab is by plunge dipping. The scab mite will infest the whole of the body and fleece, including the inside of the ears. If you had to dip sheep under supervision the inspector would insist that the head was pushed under water.

Some people sadly have died through using organophosphate dips while others have had their lives ruined. What on earth have farmers been doing inventing these dangerous products. NOT GUILTY, sheep dips are invented (if that is the right word) by scientists NOT by farmers.

Organophosphate dips can be dangerous to life and pollute becks and rivers but, because they were ministry licenced, you tended to think they would be quite safe. You don't think that any more.

So what did the scientists come up with next? Answer pyrethrum. Some say good old scientists, others tell the truth. We wouldn't touch pyrethrum dips with a bargepole. I'll tell you why. You hear it variously said that pyrethrum is 100 or 1,000 times more pollutant than organophosphate.

Next time I'll tell you how we dipped sheep 60 and more years ago. We got rid of sheep scab and had hardly any problems.

Dialect word: Sic meaning such.

Thought for the day: Medical science says that whisky can't cure a cold, but neither can medical science.