The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-01-28

How DO Extermjnate the Cattle Tick.
AT q meeting of the State Veterina-.
rians of the Southern States held at
Atlanta, Ga, October s., 1902, the fol-
resolutions were unanimously
adopted:
Whereas, this disease IL transmitted
In fever Is responsible for the death Of
more cattle In the Southern states than
all other diseas combined: and
Whereas, this disease Is transmitted
in a natural way solely by the para
site known as the cattle tick; and,
Whereas, by use Of the proper SAM
tary measures the parasite can be ef-
fectually destroyed on any farm or
district, and the federal quarantine
from such territory; therefore.
be IL
Resolved l. That the entire tick-in-
tested area can and should ultimately
be freed Of the cattle tick.
2. That al effort should first be
made to eradicate ticks from those
counties Immediately joining the fed
eral quarantine line.
3. That this work should be done
under the auspicies Of q State live
stock sanitary board or the Commits
Of Agriculture In each State,
and Immediately under the supervis-
ions Of qualified veterinarian.
4. That each State should pass the
sanitary regulations and appropriate
the requisite funds for this important
work.
5. That those tick-free farms In
counties that are far South Of the quar-
antine line, where the disease Is COM
mon among native cattle raised on
such farms, should be infested with
ticks. and kept sufficiently infested to
insure immunity to the cattle until
the quarantine line has reached said
counties.
6. That the State sanitary authori-
ties should always heartily cooperate
with the federal authorities In their
crusade against all t~ick-infested terri
tory.
North Carolina Is probably accom-.
plishing more than any other South
ern Stale in her efforts to exterminate
the cattle tick, and the following Is
an explanation Of the methods EN-.
ployed in the work.
The fu~ll-grown female tick drops of
when she becomes engorged with
blood. Her heavy body and small,
short legs make crawling difficult, &C
she gets under the dry grass or trash
close at hand. In two or three days
she begins laying eggs, and lays from
1900 to $500 during the next two
weeks. In real warm weather, under
the most favorable conditions, these
eggs hatch In about three weeks, bul
the period may be prolonged for eigh,
weeks, or indeed. the Matching pre-
vented entirely by cold weather. Tht
young ticks when first Matched are
very small, being scarcely visible ex'
cept on close inspection. They crawl
up the grass, weeds or small twigs and
there wait for the cattle to come al0nl
and pick them up. If the unfortunate
COW comes along to-day, it Is all right
with the tick, but Il she does not come
along until next week, or next month,
or indeed, for three months. II Is AL
the same, for he will still be there
waiting for her. II no COW, horse Of
mule comes along for three or foul
months, these small ticks die froG
starvation, for they have no Othel
means Of obtaining food for growth.
But II some COW brushes her lee
against the object on which the ticks
are waiting, they ''catch on" and soor
fssten themselves TO the thin and ten
der part Of the skin and begin to such
blood and grow. In three or four weeks
they will have reached their full
growth and the females, engorged with
blood, drop off and begin laying egg,
as did their mothers. The male tick,
never get much larger than q pin
head and are seldom cen unless search
ed for or pulled off with the large fe'
male.
The following additional facts shoult
also be remembered:
]. Neither old nor young ticks craw
far. hence o fence with'a bottom rail o.
board on the ground will stop them
but wire fences do not always affort
protection.
2. Ticks do not crawl from u an
imal to another.
8. Eggs laid during the cold weathe
Of late fall or early winter do not hatch
hence, 60 through the winter as eggs
aud hatch when warm weather come
In the spring.
4. All eggs laid before September Is
will probably hatch the same fall, ant
therefore the young ticks will be kiile'
by the winter weather or starved 4
death before spring. This means tba
liz all cattle be taken out OF q pastur
September LIST, all ticks will be dead b.
next spring and the pasture will re
main free unless re-infected.
With these facts In mind, three plan
for the extermiDation Of the ticks a
once suggest themselves:
l.. Keep all cattle, mules and horse
out of the tick-infested pastures, lane
and lots for one seae0n, or ut least
after September LIST, aud the ticks viii
be exterminated by the next spring.
9. Divide the pasture by u fence
With a rail or board tight on tn
ground, and keep all cattle and horse
lout of one-half this year, after Septem
Der LIST, and out Of the other half mex
wear and the work Of exterminatin!
the tick will have Leen accomplished
3. II possible burn the pasture owe
thoroughly In the spring. Mix sui
phur with the salt given the cattle
Begin not later than April 18th. an
grease the legs and under parts OF tn