THE AGRICULTUIUL NEWS. 



The Improvement of Native 

 Cattle in the West Indies 



Adoerse Effect of TickM 



The Urgent Need for Dipping Tanks 



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ATTLe -non 



Exlrad from an article 4y TTtt Director of the Jamaica Department of AfrleallaTt, pablltheJ in No. 8 Vol. II of the " Bu 



of the Department. 



din 



"Until quite recently very little had been done to control 

 the cattle ticks in Jamaica, bf-yond the application of "Tar 

 and Oil " as a smear to congested areas of large ticks. 

 The intensification of non-tropical blood in the herds, 

 with the consequent increase in the hair of the animals and 

 the tenderness of their skins, resulted in a serious increase 

 in the tick-pest under the inadequate system of control 

 generally prevailing on the pens. 



The consequence has been that the breeding of high- 

 class beef cattle became commercially unprofitable owing 

 to tiie serious loss of calves from tick-infection and the 

 slow m.ituration of the fattening gangs. By the introduc- 

 tion '-'f cheap cattle from Central America about 20 years 

 ago, the blood parasite of Tick Fever was introduced into 

 Jamaica, and the tick-pest became not merely a sucker 

 of the blood and a depredator of the vital forces of our 

 cattle. b;it an actual propagator of a parasite which 

 destro- ed tlie whole blood system of a susceptible animal so 

 ,is to • ause 1 1 the most serious loss of coBdition, or even to 

 die of ■ red water.' 



When this disease first spread in Jamaica very serious 

 los-ses of cattle were incurred, and the best bred beef stock 

 were the mo^t susceptible to the disease. By the control 

 of the ticks within reasonable limits, and the natural im- 

 munisation of the cattle that survived the attacks of the 

 parasite, the cattle industry surmounted this attack, but 

 the deteriorating influence has remained, and even ' immune' 

 cattle suffer severely from partial destruction of the blood 

 System when badlv infested with the 'grass lice," which is 

 the st.ige of the tick in which the fever parasite is inoculated 

 into the animal with fresh virulence. 



In the first degree, therefore, the improvement of oiur 

 beef cattle in Jamaica has been hampered by the tick 

 problem, and secondly by the wide spread prevalence of 

 tke fever parasite wherever cattle are bred in the Island. 

 The finest breeds of beef cattle are the most susceptible to 

 flte tick-infestation and the least resistant to the fever 

 ^^~-'^- This fact explains the miserable animals that 



have frequently resulted from the use of English Shor'.horn 

 Bulls of the finest breeding on a native herd of cdttle. 



The half-breds have remained stunted ami unt' rifty 

 with long staring coats, and in many cases have r""\'ed 

 vastly inferior to their dams on which it was sougl.t to 

 effect improvement by tlie prepotent and pre-eminent 

 qualities of the premier breed of British Cattle, tlie 

 Shorthorn. 



It has been found for example, that under ordinary 

 commercial conditions of mana;;enient, SO per cent, of tlie 

 Hereford Calves have died ; whereas, under the same con- 

 ditions, only 10 per cent, of the progeny of the ordinary.. 

 tropical cattle with a basis of Zebu blood failed to mature. 



The tick-problem, therefore, lies at the root of tlio 

 improvement of our Beef Cattle in Jamaica. 



Since the visit of Pkofeskor Newstead in 1910. pen- 

 keepers have largely developed the spraying of cattle. 

 One proprietor reports that consistent spraying has enabled 

 him to prime his steers for the butcher in six months' less 

 time than under former conditions of tick-control. 



The use of Dipping Tanks is undoubtedly indicated to 

 be the best solution of the tick-problem, and Jamaica 

 should now resolutely follow the example of Soutli .Mnca, 

 Australia, and the Southern United States in this diitction 

 It has been demonstrated at the Hope Farm that a T.mk. 

 as designed by Mr. A. H. Ritciiii:, Ciovernment Ento- 

 mologist, can be erected at a cost of C^S for labour 

 and materials, which is i apable of de.iliiig with a large lierd 

 of cattle. 



It may be safely asserted that no lari^e enterjjrise in 'ne 

 rearing and fattening of high-dass beef cattle in Jamaica 

 can be adequately equipped without a Pipping Tanl;. and 

 it is hoped that a wide extension ol ihppmg will very 

 shortly be taken in hand by all the larger proprietors 6t 

 cattle in the Island." 



<■ COOPER'S CATTLE TICK PIP 



Hat received the official approval of the following Coiintriet: 



Colon of South Africa. Northern Rhodesia. Brazil. Ba-sutoland. 



Nyasalaod. Swaziland. Southern Rhi>dcsia. MadaKascar. 



British Eafl Africa. German East Africa. Portuguese East Africa. 



Portuguese West Africa. Egypt. Argenlini^ Ropubllc. Quecn.slaod. 



United States of America. Now South Waloa. 



Northern Territory of Australia. 



WEST INDIAN AGENTS ; 



ANTiaUA: Bennett. Br>»on & Co., 5t. Johns. 



BAHAMAS: H. T. Brice. Na.^sau, N.P. 



BARBADOS: Barbado.s Co-operative Cotton Co., Bridgetown. 



BKITIsn GUIANA: T. Oedde.i (irant. Ltd. 



DOMINICA: Hon. H. A. l-ramnton. llMliNADA: Thom.ion. Hankey & C*. 



(1UADI;L0UPI-; : The -Station ABronomiquc de la aundeloup*. 



Polnt-.\-Pitrc. .lAMAICA: D. Hcndcr.<on & Co., Kinirstoa. 



MAKTINIOUE: L. Duplan & Co.. Fort-<le-Pr«nce. 



MONTSERRAT: W. Llewellyn Wall. NEVIS: S. D. Malon*. 



5T. KITTS: S. L. Horslord & Co. ST. LUCIA: Barnard Son* * C*,, 



Ca.itrles. ST. VINCENT: Corea & Co., KIncitowa. 



TRINIDAD & TOBAOO: T. Oeddes Orant, Ltd. ' 



AMERICAN VIKOIN ISLANDS: O. H. Sckmlccelow. St. CNla. 



Manufacturers : WILLIAM COOPER & NEPHEWS, Berkhamsted, England. 



BRANCHES : TonaU, Chicago, Sjdao;, MalUrrM, kmiUmi, »«■•• Airt», Mo»t« Vi3«o, fmatt 



