The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-09-21
MORE TEXAS FEVER.
Another Outbreak of it in
Edgecombe.
The Agricultural Department Hunting For a
Skilled Veterinarian. Importance
of The Work.

OF Inc Work
A letter from Edgecombe county yes
terday informed Commissioner Patterson
that there had been another outbreak of
splenic fever in that county.
Mr.. D. B. Bats, chairman of the Dem
ocratic executive committee of the coun-
ty. has lost five COWS and has II others
sick. He thinks the infection came from
cattle driven in from an adjoining county.
A few weeks ago there was an outbreak
of fever in Edgecombe in which fifteen
cattle were lost. This outbreak is under
control. The fever was brought in by
cattle from Martin.
Commissioner Patterson has sent Mr.
Bats the law in regard to the quarantine
Of cattle and instructions as to how to
treat infected cattle and prevent further
infection.
The Department of Agriculture is MAX
ing an effort to secure the services of a
skilled veterinarian to take the place of
Dr. Curtice who resigned to accept po-
sition in the A. and M. College of Rhode
Island DR.. Curtice was most compe-
tent man and he inaugurated system
by which the fever would finally have
been entirely eradicated from the State,
could he have remained here and contin-
ued his work.
A number of applications for appoint
ment to the position are already on file
and the board will probably elect a vete-
rinarian at its next meeting.
"The work just now9 said Commissioner
Patterson, is at a critical stage and it is
more important that it be carried on than
ever before in the history of the State.
There are more outbreaks of the disease
than ever before. This is because in the
stock law districts many farms have be-
come entirely free from ticks and the
blood of the cattle is untainted by poison.
But these cattle when coming in contact
with other cattle will become infected and
die, while the owners are entirely igho-
rant of the cause of the disease or of the
necessity of taking preventative meas
ures. This has led to a great many out
breaks where infected cattle have been
mixed with uninfected cattle, often in the
same neighborhood. 1t becomes there
fore an urgent necessity to educate the
cattle men in regard to the disease and
to otherwise help along the progress of
disinfection inaugurated by the stock law
system.
at is absolutely necessary to continue
to guard the cattle raising section of the
west against cattle driven from other
States and sections. The work which DIR.
Curtioe has, in that section and else
where, so wisely and successfully started
cannot now be dropped"
The damage caused by the ticks in this
State is of two kinds: direct and Indirect
The direct is caused by the driving and
pasturing of infested cattle, upon the pas
lures end roads where cattle which have
never been infested may become so by the
tick progeny. This results in their death.
The death of cattle taken to the tick in
tested districts for improvement of herds
has further resulted in the non-improve-
ment of stock therein.
The indirect loss results from the quar-
antine placed upon the cattle traffic on
account of the presence of ticks on por-
ton of them. Were these ticks to be ex-
terminated there would be no quarantine.
The great problem of marketing cattle
in all this State, excepting only the noun
tain counties. is to obtain access to the
open markets of the North now denied to
them. The one cent per pound Cor SO
for each 1000-pound animaD difference
between the open and the quarantine mar
ket in favor of the former is a margin
which means a profit in raising cattle.
Everywhere ticks are the same pestif-
erous nuisance and drawback upon the
cattle industry, and their appearance in
new districts is followed by the same dis
ease.
A letter recently received at the De-
parment from Surry county says:
ITO exempt the cattle of Surry would
enhance the value of the cattle sold each
year at least SO, 900 AS it is at pres
ent there is very little trading in cattle
here, as we have no outlet and people are
losing interest in the business of rails
ing and dealing in cattle. You see we
have only a month or SO in a year when
the quarantine is raised, and that in dead
of winter, when cattle as a rule are rather
thin, unless they have been well fed. This
would mean keeping them on hand for
twelve months. If we had Surry exempt,
trading in cattle would go on the year
round, and thereby cattle raising would
be encouraged, and the people would be
benefited many times my estimate of the
difference in the value of cattle.
A letter from Burke county says:
'It would be of great value to Burke
to have that portion north of Catawba
River exempted from quarantine, as that
is the best part of Burke for raising cat
tie My opinion is that it would raise
the value of cattle from half to one and
half cents per pound. The people north
of the river are very anxious to have
the river IS the line"