282 A TICK-RESISTANT fOXDITION IN fATTLE. 



Ransonr^ found that there Mas no difference in regard 

 to tick infestation when animals were experimentally 

 8up})lied with sulphur in addition to oi-dinary food. This 

 was supported by Klein (1907, p. 10). 



Circumstantial evidence can be quoted to the effect 

 that lucerne confers tick-resisting powers on animals. 

 Lignieres (1901) mentioned the fact that tick infested animals 

 from Northern Argentine when placed in the richer pastures 

 of the South became tick-free and did not set up fresh 

 centres of tick fever. This he attributed to the action 

 of lucerne and also mentioned that the substitution of 

 lucerne for natural grasses leads to the establishment of 

 tick-free areas. Trj^on (R.S.C., 1915, pp. 47-48) also quoted 

 Lignieres to this effect. 



In an editorial article (Q.A.J. , \ol. x., 1902, p. 96) 

 there is the record of n, cow at Samsonvale Avhich became 

 clean on being turned into a lucerne paddock and was never 

 thereafter troubled with ticks. In the same journal (Vol. 

 xix, 1907, p. 142) green lucerne feeding is reported t(j have 

 considerably redviced ticks on some holdings in the Blackall 

 Range. Walker (R.S.C., 1915, p. 51) stated that lucerne 

 feeding had ])een tried extensively b}^ individual farmers 

 and that it failed in every case. 



Tryon (R.S.O., 1915 , appendix, j)- 71) pointed out that 

 experiments carried out at several agricultural stations 

 in U.S.A. have conclusively shewn that there is a peculiar 

 association between lucerne and sulphur. Chemical analyses 

 liave proved that lucerne contains a high percentage of 

 sulphur. "Accordingly "" Tryon concludes, "if sulphur 

 when in the animars system confers an immunity from tick- 

 infestation, we should expect the same result to follow the 

 ingestion of lucerne or any other similar sul})hur-contain- 

 ing herbage.' 



Various other plants are reputed to haA e the power to 

 confer tick resisting properties on stock. Tryon (R.S.C., 

 1915, p. 48) mentioned the statement in a West Indian 

 Agricidtural paper that " when cattle were allowed to graze 

 on pasturage in which certain grass predominated they 



*Ransom, in "' The eradication of the Cattle Tick." U.S.D.A., 

 B.A.I., Bull. 97 .1907. p. 72. 



