130 



The Dawn of a New Constructive Era 



Heavy Ex- 

 ports to Con- 

 tinue After 

 War 



Tick Eradica- 

 tion First 

 Essential 



increase in the number of our farm animals, yet meat and dairy 

 products constitute 37 per cent, of the average diet, cereals 31 per 

 cent., sweet and Irish potatoes 13 per cent., vegetables 8 per cent., 

 and fish 2 per cent. The amount of. beef, veal, mutton and pork 

 available per capita has fallen from 248.2 pounds in 1899 to 219.6 

 pounds in 1915. The production of butter and cheese per capita 

 has fallen from 23.6 pounds in 1899 to 21.1 pounds in 1909. 

 The production of fish, cereals and Irish potatoes has fallen off 

 since 1899, while poultry, eggs, sweet potatoes and citrus fruits 

 have shown an increase, which, of course, is very encouraging 

 insofar as it goes. Under the stimulus of war abroad and extraor- 

 dinary prices, the exports of meat products for 1916 will prob- 

 ably be 2,000,000,000 pounds, together with 602,000,000 pounds of 

 fats and oils. The imports of these two items amount to prac- 

 tically nothing as compared with the exports. Hence, we face 

 another danger of decreasing our meat supply through the de- 

 mand abroad, which it is reasonable to suppose will continue 

 until the end of the war and for some years thereafter. This is 

 but an added reason why we should develop and promote our 

 animal industries in every possible way. Feverish activity along 

 this linei is what we need. At the same time, we should avoid a 

 boom or speculation or irrational development because all of 

 these things will re-act unfavorably on the industry in the long 

 run. At the same time, it does not appear that the Southern 

 (people as a whole realize the true inwardness of the existing 

 situation or fully appreciate the opportunities which it offers to 

 them. 



Among the things which need to be done to place our animal 

 industries on a thoroughly constructive basis is the complete 

 eradication of the cattle tick. Commendable progress is being 

 made along this line. This work was begun in 1906, through the 

 efforts of a small group of men associated with Southern agricul- 

 tural colleges and experiment stations, and if laurel wreaths were 

 given to those deserving them, theirs would have been bestowed 

 long ago. At a time when everyone considered the eradication of 

 the cattle tick a dream of the imagination, these men. inaugurated 

 the work on a scale which demonstrated its feasibility, and 

 through persistent effort, won the sympathy and approval of 

 Secretary Wilson, Congress and the Federal authorities to the 

 support of this work. The South will never be able to pay the 

 debt of gratitude it owes to Dr. Tait Butler, Prof. H. A. Morgan. 



