58 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



Oregon and Ripley counties was more or less restricted by the 

 Federal quarantine to the detriment of the cattle industry in these 

 counties. 



In past years we have attempted to control Texas fever by 

 hunting up and quarantining all the ticky cattle. It was the cus- 

 tom to release such cattle from quarantine as soon as they were 

 cleaned from the ticks, with the understanding that their owners 

 should keep them clean. This method for several reasons failed to 

 produce satisfactory results. It was impossible to locate and ex- 

 itmine all the cattle at the times when the various crops of ticks 

 were on them. It was difficult to enforce a quarantine. (In one 

 case, the prosecuting attorney of Newton county advised an owner 

 to turn the cattle out and ignore the quarantine). The re-exami- 

 nation of cattle for release from quarantine consumed too much of 

 the inspector's time. It was often found, upon re-examination, 

 that the owner had only partially cleaned his cattle of ticks, or that 

 he had not done it at all. It was the rule rather than the exception 

 that, when cattle were once released, the owner would neglect to 

 keep them clean. The repeated examination of herds under obser- 

 vation, and the explanation of details to their owners, required so 

 much time that the inspectors could not cover the ground. There 

 were general complaints that it took too much work and expense 

 to keep the cattle free of ticks, and, in some cases, it was claimed 

 that the oil used damaged the cattle. In fact, every imaginable 

 reason that could emanate from a lazy man's mind was advanced 

 against the eradication of the Texas fever ticks. 



To get around these various obstacles we set about at the be- 

 ginning of the last season to carry out some more effective plans. 

 We asked the U. S. Department of Agriculture, out of the tick 

 eradication appropriation, to furnish a spraying outfit for each in- 

 fested county in this State. Our request was granted as to outfits 

 for Oregon, Newton and McDonald counties. The spraying outfits 

 consisted of a wagon and team, two men and a supply of soap and 

 crude oil, with which to make an emulsion that is the most effective 

 agent knowTi for the destruction of ticks. Arrangements were 

 made to cover all the infested area every two weeks, if possible, 

 and spray all the cattle. All the owners had to do was to get their 

 cattle up in a convenient lot, upon receipt of a notice of the time 

 that the spray wagon would be along. The State inspector, work- 

 ing in co-operation with the crew furnished by the U. S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, was instructed to attend to notifying cattle 

 owners when to have their cattle up and to compel delinquents to 



