THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



It Pays 



TO Eradicate Ticks 1 



The Results of Tick Eradication work in the United Stat9a 



\ 



A vigorous co-operative carnpaign for the eradication of the cattle tick in the South asd Sotrth-West States of North 

 America, has been in progress since 1906, the work being conducted jointly by the Bureau of Animal Iiwhistry of the Ua4 

 States Department of Agriculture and the State and county authorities. 2fO,000 square miles (an area ffreater than Prance) ! 

 already been completely cleared of ticks. An effort has recently been made to secure direct evidence from the catttencn i 

 fanners concerned as to the results of the work. For this purpose a circular letter embodying the following questions ' 

 widely distributed among the stdckmen and farmers in II different States. The questions asked were ; — 



1. What has been the average increase her head in the value of cattle in vour county since tick eradication began io 1906 ? 



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



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



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



5. What is the probable per cent, of increase in milk production of dairy coivs due to the absence of tides ? 



Slightly over 1,000 replies we're received in all. The following is a summary of these replies, taking each question in order: — 



1. AVERAGE INCREASE in VALUE of CATTLE SINCE TICK ERADICATION BEGAN In I BOO. 



.'Alabama ... f 7 70 Arkansas ... f8.31 California ... f 15.00 Georgia ... |800 



Mississippi ... 9.00 North Carolina 8.30 (J Oklahoma ... a20 South Carolina 9.25 



Tennessee ... |10.9* Texas ... $13.79 Virginia ... fl3^ 



ATcraae of 1 1 StatM - (9.76 



SOTE.—tSiC I'lcuU H deiacttd front tkt atove incnnaii as refritentinf the oaural rUt In the valitt of cattU whick ku teien place througlKiul tlu coimlrv, 



and uhlclt cannot, therefart, be taUitc he due to the eradication oS tiekt. 



a. INCREASE IN WEIGHT OF CATTLE. 



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

 lor the entire tick-free territory was 19.14. In other words, the cattle as a whole are considered to be about one-fifth heavier 

 ih.au before tick destruction was commenced. 



3. INCREASE IN QUALITY OF CATTLE. 



The lowest State average was 16 per cent, for Georgia, and the highest 31 percent, for Mississippi. The average for the 11 States 

 « .".s 26.91 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 

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



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

 magnitude must be. Some idea of its extent may be had by taking the census figures lor cattle in 1910. .\ccording 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 f 34,000,000, which represents roughly the annual loss from deathsalone, not counting the depreciation 

 in numerous other ways, such as stunted growth, discrimination in markets, shrinkage in milk production, etc., aJl of which 

 will more than double the amount named. 



5. INCREASE IN MILK PRODUCTION. 



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

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



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

 average, 25 per cent, increase, is from North Carolina, closely followed, however, by 24 per cent, each in Mississippi and Oklahoma. 

 , 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 South. Tha 

 •4«litional milk would in the ;>.ggregate be worth many millions of dollars. 



IT IS CHEAPER TO KILL TICKS THAN TO FEED THEM. 

 COOPER'S CATTLE TICK I>iP. WEST INDIAN AGENTS. 



.<r. KrrT.><: S. L. lloi>fc.r.l iV Co. 

 Has rccei'iid the ojDicial ahf'ri'-:nl „f the follnu'ui:,; Cinnitritf: .^NTKUA: Inuiull, 15iyw>n i\: Co. 



.1AM>U'.\: 1>. ll(iul(rs..ii .V C<«., Kiiigsteu. 



Union of South Afr'ca, Northern Rhodesia, frtzil, Batutoland, <;i{K.N.\li.\: 'riiouiM'ii, liankiy »v Co. 



r.\KBAD(l.';:,r..iih;ulo.s C<' npii iilivc Cotton Co., \AA. 



Nyasaland, Swaziland, Southern Rhodesia, Madagascar, BAHAM.\.'<: H. T. Bncu. Nassau. 



THINIPAI): T. (Jcldis <iiant, litd.. r(.it-of-S)>ain. 



British East Africa, German East Africa, Portuguese East Africa. liUlTl.sH (JilANA: Saii<ll»uli, I'arkor A Co. 



. - fi ST. VlNiklNT: C<.iva .VCc, Kingstown. 



Ptrluguese West Africa, Egypt, Argentine Republic, Queensland, \^IEHlc\N vii^.iN^sLANl).<!':(^."irsrl.nii,Kelow,st.(Voix. 



"''°'"r JO r. « o L .., , AKINTSKKR.VT: W Mow. llyii Wall. 



United States o' America, New South Wales, dominica: ii.m. ll. a. FramiKon. 



ST. f^lK'lA; Hanii.iil Suns A Co., C.-islries. 

 Northern Territory of Australia. < i AM-.l.ocrF Si.. i, ti- Imlustii.ll.rt A^nicole, Point-a Pitre. 



MaDufacturers: WILLIAN COOPER & NEPHEWS, Berkhamsted, England. 



BRANCHES: Torcnto, Chicago, Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Buercc Arcs, Mo-^te Video, Punta Aren.is, East London, Odessa 



