CATTLE TICK ERADICATION 



Of course, there are many methods of tick eradication, used 

 either separately 'or conjointly, the more important and more 

 generally known, however, being dipping, spraying, inocula- 

 tion, burning the pasture, and starvation methods, the soiling 

 method, the feedlot method, and the pasture rotation method. 

 These are some of the means at the disposal of the cattle- 

 owners, and a few words about each should be of interest and 

 value. 



Before dealing with the remedies, however, the dangers of 

 the tick evil itself cannot be too strongly impressed. About 

 four years ago the Bureau of Animal Industry (U.S.A.) issued 

 a circular to stock-owners with a view to securing direct evi- 

 dence regarding the benefits derived from the tick eradication 

 work carried on within the quarantine area. This circular took 

 the form of a number of questions which are given herewith 

 with some of the summarised answers. They afford most im- 

 pressive evidence, not only of enormous losses prevented, but 

 also of immense gains obtained by the dipping of animals for 

 ridding them of ticks. 



In reply to the question, " What were the approximate 

 annual losses of cattle from tick fever in your county from 1900 

 to 1909 inclusive ? " the summarised answer was : "15-3 per 

 cent," and this was followed by the query : " What has been 

 the annual loss of cattle from tick fever since tick eradication 

 started ? " The answer — 1-3 per cent — compared with the 15-3 

 per cent in reply to the first question, show r s that tick eradica- 

 tion work resulted in the losses being reduced almost to vanish- 

 ing point. The next two questions brought forth the informa- 

 tion that wmereas from 1900 to 1909 inclusive the average 

 value of three-year-old steers was 16-15 dollars (67s. 3d.), in 

 1912, i.e. between two and three years after the commence- 



31)7 



