Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-11-22
FARM AND GARDEN.

about over, but the subject Of prevent
alton is ever worth talking ubont, hence
the following letter furnished TO a pa
per outside OF tho State by Veterinnr-
i inn Francis of the Texas experiment
station is reproduced: There are per-
btps some readers Of your. paper who
may be Interested In our efforts 10 sug-
gtst practical remedy for tho ticks--
those enjoying aud disgusting parasites
of cattle aud other animals of the South
aud Southwest Ii Is presumed that
those who will be Interested in
these remarks are acquainted with tcka
In general way and something of their
HE, history and Of their relation to q
| certain disease called Texas fever.
| shall proceed to relate our exper-
ielce IN attempting 10 destroy these
creatures. There are several measures
that are mentioned occasionally that
are intended to prevent the attack OF
the tick. IL has been suggested 10 burn
oil the pastures In the fall. This certnin-
ly would destroy great many, but Is
not done to any considerable extent. Tho
| idea generally is that sulphur. II taken
frequently with the feed or. with salt,
VIII produce Il condition of the skin Of
fenslvc TO the ticks and thus keen them
OF. Our experience along this line was
fai from satisfactory, A more prevalent
otinIon Is that sulphur water Will nc
complish the desired result II the mil
mails have free access TO IT, This may
he successful In some eases, but Il GER
tainly falls ut this college where onr
dairy herd. which consists OF about
cii,hty animals drink sulphur water
daily. During the last thirty days ticks
have troubled our cows more than my
similar period for several years. Our
Efforts have boon mostly directed to-
wird some practical remedy TO destroy
the ticks after they have become at
tnched 10 the animals. or the remedies
employed for this purpose there are
many. After several years OF expert.
rnce nlonr this line we have abandoned
the tobacco dccoctions. the carbolic
preparations. arsenicnl and tho lime and
sulphur sheep dips and kerosene cmul'
sion.
We have found nothing that compares
III cotton seed oil, applied generously
with n wide paint brush. II u effective,
does not irrliate the skin and " OF
m ldoratc cost. We sometimes Md TO
II 10 nrr cont of crude carbullc acid or
~ kerosene, but | am not sure that tllls
Is necessary or desirable, The above nn-
plies only to gentle animals, To apply
tn, animals we have built large cnttle-
dipping vat of about 5000 gallons cnpac-
ty. This device WINS built aud put into
operation by MIR. H. j. klchurg OF
Alice, Texas. The cattle are confined In
III, pens and nre forced TO enter the vat
through chute When an animal mr.
rives on the trnp-dOOr II loses Us bal
nucc and slides into the vat, The door
then falls bnck into Ats original position
retdy for the next The cattle swim
The vat and arrive On the dripping plat
~ IN. where they remain short time 20
allow the excess Of drip to dram BACK
In o the vat. ,eo, $50,
n certain carbolic sheep dip y, the vat
Mt n strength OF y 3 per cent. We found
- ..st.. lao Itn made strong
enough To Hill the adult female ticks II
lrlitnted the cattle severely and became
IN, cxncnsiyc We then selected
cheaper oarbolic dip. This was a very
imperfect cmulelon, nnd after seNerhi
nrimnls had passcd through the vat ANA
md npitntrd the din vigorously there np-
reared ON the surface an nnniAet po,-
tItn which may for convenience DO cnil-
al "scum," Thls scum accumulated ny
ths notion of tho waves Mt the iar cnu
of the vat and covered the cattle as MY
cams o-t, The was very fatal to the
tirk and suggested tho oil process de-
SC -lhcd below. IT,.
W. hnvn been endcnvorlug TO lind O
subeiapcc that will destroy every, uth,
that vii not lrritnte the skin nnn inn.
is moderate In cost These connt,lons
nrn mot by cotton seed Oh; . we ni ,n ,nS
81 the oil Ia II. The cattle are thei
driven through, and on coming OUT OF
,he water nrr covered with the oil. Inc
inferior grades Of the oil show, tendon
cy 10 emnlsify in neutral aud " nlkn,lnc
waters. probably duo 10 The reislns tlsv
cootnin. This greatly reduces tho cili-
cheney Of tho oil, but Fortunately thN
cam 10 almost entirely prevented ~ we
adding Of : pcr cent Of salt runner
s,tdv Of alkaline water Is necessary
We have not crippled. drowned or abort
al any animals by the dipping nrocess'
- hn NssnprimnOtg 10 tMO=
fold Firat 10 provide q means OF DC
uroylng tho ticks on a large scale az
his nrrn ngcmcut has n capacity OF INV
10 % 900 animals per days second 70
nroyidc n method by when cnuie cNn
he treated that may he shippeu m Wy
tbs wear. without being 2 source OF dls-
cose 10 any other animals. Inc ecoho-
mic Importance Of the work Is eVioe"e
FAMOUS Disease OF the Sweet Potato
There are several fungus diseases
which live upon the sweet potato nhd
"raauce The condition known as rot. On
IN those which have boon tho most do
.t,.urtiyc here will be discussed. TOR
hans the most serious one tho grower
Inns 10 deal with y the soft rot ,ithi1o,
mis- nIgrlcnnsJ. This fungus is NOT tounu
Ia abundance In the Held, hut does thc
most serious work In the store room. The
rotate when attacked ut once becomes
poH and worthless, aud gives OF nm Of
fensiyo order. Mycelium Tor mold soon
crews over the TUDOR In. II white ieltiisr
mass. The tuber then begins to shrink,
"od nj the end or bruised places viii ap-
near a dark powdery mass OF spores.
',no fungus does It's most serious work
soon after digging, while the potatoes
ma going through sweat. Tho tubers
shonld be placed In small piles in DIX
cooi Mace. aud he watched carefully until
thcv nrc dried out. II the diseased ones
are taken away and the potatoes. arc wen
corcd for the fungus viii almost stop IN
two weeks, when the tubers are ready Tor
storing. Tt. ,h.,,,
M little ne possible, aud thus Leave no
niar. where the diseases may enter. VI
,bcy be put away In n dry cool place
aftsr curing out, and dry clean. road
saud be sprlnkied among them we'll this
fmnrus will do but little Injury. ~ ~
yery serious sometimes II this IL neglect
Cd dsstroyIng hundreds Of bushels In a |
short time, yet 1t can easily DO held In
check. H..
been The most serious disease we have |
had 10 contend with In the store room,
XII Of the light red skin varieties such
~ ,umnkIn VAN, have been injured most,