THE AGRICULTUEAL NEWS. 



Tick Suppression 



C- J 



OR 



Tick Eradication? 



How often should Cattle be Sprayed ? 



HALF MEASURES. There are innumerable Cattle owners who think that the object of dipping or spraying is to keep ticks from getting on to 

 the cattle ; this wrong impression is held almost always by those men who do not set before themselves as their goal the absolute eradication of ticks from 

 their property, but are content simply to keep the number of ticks within bounds. These men aim merely at tick " suppression," and are apparently 

 content to regard ticks as a trouble that will always be with them : they look forward with equanimity to [he prospect of having always to keep on spraying 

 their cattle from time to lime, and do not even realise that it is perfectly possible, by spraying or dipping regularly and thoroughly, to completely eradicate 

 ticks from a property within a period of two or three years. 



ERADICATION SHOULD BE THE AIM. It should, therefore, be most strongly emphasised that the determination which should be behind 

 cattle dipping, or spraying operations, is not merely to "suppress" ticks, but to completely eradicate them. 



So far from it being desired to keep ticks off cattle, the whole idea is to use the cattle to collect the ticks from the infested pastures, and then to kill all 

 the licks on the cattle by spraying or dipping them In a tick-destroying fluid. In this way the ticks are being continually "mopped up" by the cattle, and 

 the pasture eventually becomes absolutely free from ticks. 



THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PROPER INTERVAL. But it will be clear that, if this desirable result is to be obtained, the cattle must 

 be treated sufficiently often to prevent any ticks which gel on after one dipping from falling off again before the Cattle are again dipped. If the interval 

 between treatments is loo long, many female ticks will fall off without ever having been dipped or sprayed. Each of these female licks will lay several 

 thousand eggs, which means that the pasture Is being continually re-infested with young ticks. The importance of not allowing any female tick to escape spraving 

 will be realised if it is borne in mind that the progeny of one single female tick may. within a period of seven months, come to number 6,750.000,000 indniduals. 



INTERVAL DEPENDS ON LIFE HISTORY. In considering what is the proper interval between sprayings or dippings, the deciding factor 

 must be the period which a tick spends on an animal from the lime it first gels on, as a seed tick, until the time it falls off as a fully-engorged female, ready 

 to lay eggs. 



It has been proved beyond all doubt that the ordinary Cattle Tick requires at least three weeks to complete that portion of its life-c\'cle which it 

 spends on an animal. It follows, therefore, that one dipping or spraying every 21 days, is quite sufiicleni to catch and destroy all licks which have got 

 on to the animal since the previous dipping. If the operation is performed every fortnight, so much the belter, as licks will be eradicated more quickly. 



AN OFFICIAL RECOMMENDATION. The following procedure is recommended by the Jamaica Department of Agriculture, when first 

 commencing tick-eradication measures ; — 



Spray once, handpicking engorged female ticks on the point of dropping. Sjjray again 10 days later. If licks slill appear, spray again 10 days later. 

 If no licks are found, spray 3 weeks later. Spray every 3 weeks throughout the year, whether any ticks are seen or not. 



The next year the three-weekly spraying should be persisted in. The following year the property should be free from ticks, if this procedure is 

 observed and the spraying is always very thoroughly carried out. 



HOW LONG TO CONTINUE SPRAYING. If ticks apparently disappear from the Cattle after ihev have been under treatment for some lime, 

 the dipping or spraying slmuld not be discontinued until it has been determined by .i number of careful hand inspections that the cattle are reallv free of ticks. 

 If licks continue on cattle until cold weather and then finally disappear, it shouM be borne in mind that in all probability eradicaiion has not really been 

 accomplished, as there may be engorged females, unhatched eggs, and inactive seed ticks on the farm ; consequently, even if the cattle should remain free of licks 

 during the winter, the\' may become re-infested the following spring. In any case In which ticks disappear from the cattle and treatment is discontinued, 

 the ca[;le should be watched with the greatest care for ticks until ample time has elapsed to leave no doubl that the properly is free of licks. 



HOW TO KEEP A PROPERTY CLEAN. After a property has been freed of ticks, precautions should be observed to prevent ticks from 

 being reintroduced. In case it becomes necessary to bring cattle from a llcky properly, they should be completely freed of ticks before being 

 brought on the place; or, If this is not possible, a quarantine lot, or pen, should be set aside to be used exclusively for licky cattle, where such cattle may be 

 kept and entirely freed of ticks iiefore being placed with other cattle. Srtii cattle may be freed of ticks by dipping them twice at an interval of 10 days in an 

 arsenical dip. After the second dipping, the cattle should not be [ilaceci In the quarantine pen. which may be "tick\'," but placed in a tick-free lot, where they 

 can be observed for a time, to make absolutely certain that they carif %.o ticks, after which they may be placed with the other cattle. 



COOPER'S CATTLE TICK DIP WEST INDIAN AGENTS i 



Ha$ received the official approval of the following Countries: ST. KITTS: 5. I.. Hnrsford & Co. ANTIlil'A: Hennett, Bry.<on & Co. 



union of South Africa, Northern Rhodesia, lirazil, ftasuloland, (iKKNAda: Tliomson. Hnnkev & Co. 



Nyasaland. Swaziland, Soulhern Rhodesia, Madagascar, BARBAiio-^: Barbados Co-operative cotton Co., Ltd. 



' ' ' . t. . I1AHAMA5: W. N. Twynam. Na.i.snu. 



British East Africa, German East Africa, Portuguese East Africa, TklNtDAD: T. Qeddcs lirant. fort of .Spain. 



n . »i, . ., • I- i . .. i> I.I- <> I J BRlTt.SH (iUIANA: -Sandljuch, Harkcr & Co. 



Portuguese West Africa, l:gypt, Argentine Republic, Queensland, sT. VINCUNT: Corea & Co., Kins-stown. Ni-;vi5: .s. o. Malone. 



United Slates of America, New South Wales, Dam.sh wkst in1)I1^s; a. .schniiecoiow. St. Croix. 



niONTStkRAT: W.|Je»ell>nWa1l. DOMINICA: Hon. H. A. FramDtoll. 



Northern Territory of Australia. .st. I.iiciA: Barnard .-ions & Co., Castries. 



Manufacturers : WILLIAM COOPER & NEPHEWS, Berkhamsted, England. 



BRANCHES : Toronto, Chicigo, Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Bueuoi Aires, Monte Video, Punta Arenat, East London, OJetso. 



