THE AGRIOL- LTURAL NEWS. 



It Pays 



TO Eradicate Ticks I <' 



The Results of Tick Eradication work in the United State* 



A vigorous co-operative campaign for the eradication of the cattle tick in the South aad South-Wwt States ot North 

 America, has been in progress since 1906, the work being conducted jointly by the Bureau of Aniaaal lodustry of the UaiitOi 

 States Department of Agriculture and the State and county authorities. 220,000 square miles (an area rreater than Tmxt) hM 

 already been completely cleared of ticks. An eSort has recently been made to secure direct evidence from the cattlemeri aod 

 farmers concerned as to the results of the work. For this purpose a circular letter embodying the following questions w«» 

 widely distributed among the stockmen and farmers in 11 different States. The questions asSed were : — 



1. What has been the average increase her head in the value of cattle in vour county since tick eradication began » H06 ? 

 What, if any, has been the average per cent, increase in the weight of the cattle since tick eradication began ? 

 Express in percentage the average increase in grade or quality of the cattle since ticks were eradicated ? 

 Approximately what per cent, of cattle died annually of fever in your county before tick eradication began ? 

 What is the probable per cent, of increase in milk production of dairy cows due to the absence of ticks ? 

 Slightly over 1,000 replies were received in all. The following is a summary of these replies, taking each question is onlv : — 



2. 

 3. 

 4. 

 5. 



1. AVERAGE INCREASE in VALUE of CATTUE SINCE TICK EKADICATION BEGAN in lOOO. 



Alabama ... §7.70 Arkansas ... $8.31 



Mississippi ... 9.00 North Carolina 8.30® 



Tennessee ... 1 10.94 Texas 



Avermge of 1 1 Stat** 



NOTE.—tiJS0 thould be ieiucUdfrom the above inerciuet at refretenting the 



and whieh cannot, therefore, be * 



INCREASE 



California' ... $15.00 Georgia 



Oklahaou ... 8,10 South Carolina 



♦ 13.79 Virginia ... |13.28 



$B.76 



J rUe in the value of cattle ivAMk km Ulmi ]>1<« tknufheut thteoimtr% 

 to be due to flU eradication of tiekt. 



18.00 

 9.25 



a. INCREASE IN WBIGHT OF CATTLE. 



The averages fdr the States ranged from 11 per cent, in Texas to 23 per cent, in Mississippi, and the average per cent, of gain 

 ' ; the entire tick-free territory Wcis 19.14. In other words, the cattle !ist& whole are considered to b« about one-fifth heavier 

 ;h..r. before tick destruction was commenced. 



3. INCREASE IN QUALITY OF CATTLE. 



The lowest State average wa^6 percent, for Georgia, and the highest 31 per cent, for Mississippi. The average for the 11 States 

 ' '.^ 26.01 per cent., which means that the cattle in the tick-free sections at present are rather over one-fourth better in grade or quality. 



This is proof, if proof were needed, that the unprofitable "scrub" animal and the tick go together, and that when the latter 

 > banished, and not until then, is the influx of pure bred animals on a large and profitable scale possible. 



4. ANNUAL LOSSES BEFORE TICK ERADICATION. 



There is practical unanimity in allowing that considerable losses were caused by Tick fever before the inauguration of the 

 tick eradication work. The figures range from 9 per cent, in Georgia, to 15 per cent, in Mississippi and North Carolina, and the 

 a^erage for the 11 States is 13 per cent. This is a trifle over one-eighth of the total cattle. 



It requires but little imaginatio'n to see what a serious handicap to the cattle industry of the South an annual loss of this 

 raagnitude must be. Some idea of its extent may be had by taking the census figures for cattle in 1910. .Xccording to these there 

 Were in round numbers 15,000,000 cattle below the Tick quarantine line, with a valuation of slightly over $270,000,000. 



One-eighth of this sum is $34,000,000, which represents roughly the annual loss from deaths alone, not counting the depreciation 

 jn riun.erous other ways, sue]-, as stunted growth, discrimination m markets, shrinkage in milk production, etc., all of which 

 will more than double the amount named. 



S. INCREASE IN MILK PRODUCTION. 



The owners of dairy cows in the region cleared of ticks are evidently well satisfied with the results of the work, since 95 per 

 cent, of the replies admit there was an increase, usually very substantial, in the yield of milk. 



The lowest estimates are from Alabama and Georgia, these two States averaging 1 .i per cent, increase in each, while the highest 

 ai-erage. 25 percent, increase, is from North Carolina, closely follov.ed,however, by 24 [ler cent, each in Mississippi and Oklahonaa. 



The average for the 11 States is 23 per cent., which is a gain of nearly one-fourth in the total Milk yield. 



It is easy to see what a great advantage this would be if it could be applied to all the ticky cows in the Soutb. Th* 

 aMitional milk would in the aggregate be worth many minions of dollars. 



IT IS CHEAPER TO KILL TICKS THAN TO FEED THEM. 



COOPERS CATTLE TICK D IP 

 ffWt rtrtiotH Ih* official approval of th» following CoantrMmi 

 talau o( Soulb Africa, .Nurtbcrn Kbodeaia. Urizil, nssuloltiA 



Ntistlaod. Swaiilaail, Soulbern Kbodcdn. Mada|[a>car, 



tritifb Last Africa. German Ens' Alrlci. forlugueae Eaat Africa, 



fartufutjf Wen Africa. ERypt, Ar;;nline Republic, QDcenslaad, 



tnlled Stales of America, Sew Soutb Walea, 



Norlbern Terrllory uf Aoslralia. 



Manufacturers : WILLIAM COOPER & 



CKANCHLS : Torsstc, Clicaeo. Sjdacj, MeUvtm, AacUaul, 



WEST INDIAN AGENTS; 



• I.ILtrTJ: 5. L. llorMorO A Co. ANTIGUA : Hfnnctl. Br. ''°'' * ^'■ 



JAM MO A: I>. fiendrr..(in A Co., Kinfrston. 



(iK(:iNA[)A: Thomson. Il.inko & Co. 



KARBAn05: Barbados Co-iipcralive Cntton Co., Ltd. 



UAHAMA.S: W. N. Twynnni, Nav^au. 



TRIMDAU: r. Qeddes (irant. Port of Spain. 



BRITISH niriANA: 5an<lhnch. I'arker & Co. 



8T, VINCENT: Corea & Co., KIncslown. NKVIS: 5. O. Mnlone. 



0A.NI5H WKST INDIES: A. .<climlctre!ow, St. Ci oix. 



MONT5ERRAT: \V. Llewellyn Wall. DOMINICA: Hon. H. A. Pramirtoa. 



AT. LUCIA: Barnard Sons A Co., Castrle*. 



NEPHEWS, Berkhamsted, England. 



CucBoa Airei, MobIc Video, PocU Arcou, Eait London. Odeua. 



