The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-03-29
nder one year old than those that are

under one year old than those that are older.
 If the tick fever question were lins- ited to the immunizing of Northern bred or imported cattle, the problem would be far less expensive and more easily solved. But the fact Is that the annual losses of native cattle in Ala bama from tick fever runs well up in- to the thousands of dollars; and, as our cattle improve and multiply in numbers, the losses will increase cor respcndingly, unless the cattle ticks are stamped out or exterminated. The Federal government has stamp ed out contagious pleuro-pneumonia and contagious foot-and-mouth disease In cattle; and no one questions the right of the government to do such expensive work. because the eradica- tion of such diseases was of untold benefit to the infected locality and the entire country.
 But now all the States below the Federal tick fever quarantine line must stand the losses in immunizing North ern or imported cattle in order to in- prove their cattle: and the great an- nual losses among native cattle from tick fever; and. furthermore, be shut out from free cattle trade with the DSSL hclS IIOHt COA aoAy until December each year.
 It is true that Southern cattle may be dipped under the supervision of Federal inspector and then shipped north during the closed quarantine season. Also, fat cattle may be ship ped north during the closed season, but they must be slaughtered, and that fact leads the buyers to discriminate against them to the extent of a quar- ter to a half a cent per pound. Dr. Butler of North Carolina states this point as follows: ITO reach the best markets our cattle must go north of the quarantine line. and must be slaughtered at once or go back home. The buyers know this and pay from a quarter to a half cent per pound less for them than for cattle Of the same quality from north of the quar- antlne line.
 The six counties which have been released from all Federal quarantine restrictions, because we have extermi- mated the fever ticks within their bor- ders, sell about s150.000 worth of cat tie annually. If the price of these cattle was reduced only quarter of cent per pound 1t meant an annual loss of one-tenth of $150,000, or S15.000, which exceeds the entire amount ex- pended in exterminating the ticks In those counties.
 In other words any stock law County if>North Carolina now under quarantine can be freed of ticks. and as a result exempted from Federal quarantine restrictions. for less money than is now lost each year solely be- cause of the presence of the ticks.
 Extermination of Ticks.
 The work In North Carolina has proven that ticks can be exterminated at a reasonable cost And the neces- sity for more work in tick extermina- tion by the Federal authorities and the States partly or wholly below the quar- antine line, Is of such vital importance to the cattle industry of the South that the Federal government should appro- priate annually $15.000 to $20,000 to this work in each of the Southern States.
 Each State should place an equal amount in the field and work Tn unison with the Federal authorities This would mean that from six to ten coun- ties could be made tick free each year in every Southern State.
 The development of the beef cattle industry in Alabama has made consid- ereble progress during the past year. Many registered animals have come from above the Federal quarantine
 
 from Texas and Indian Territory. We are reluctant in stating that some of our farmers have purchased, for breed ing purposes, grade bulls. This indi- cates that the cattle peddlers and spec ulators have been working some of our farmers. The people who buy grade bulls and inferior types of registered animals will usually become disap- pointed in the cattle breeding business. In our farmers institute work, embrac ing every county in the State, we have taken special pains to instruct the farmer in the elementary principles of breeding and the conformation of dairy and beef animals, in order that they might be able to select the best sires and dams and use them with discre- tion and profit.
 No one thing has so injured or re- ts rded the breeding of beef cattle in Alabama as defective sires. Extensive observation in Alabama leads me to state that buyers of breeding animals should be very cautious and careful in selecting sires to head their herds, AL ways remember that good sires are more expensive and likewise more prof itable than inferior or defective sires.
 One other fact has impressed me in my trips over our State. Live stock farmers must study feeds and feeding. Cotton seed and its products are in- sufficient and improper feeds for breed ing animals when fed alone for any great length of time, or when fed in excess for a short time. I do not mean to say that cotton seed and its products can not be judiciously employed in a ration for dairy and beef animals. But I do say that I have observed many dairy cattle and a few beef cattle thrown out of the breeding business by feeding too much cotton seed meal or cotton seed.
 With a wide range of legumes. grass es, corn. oats, wheat, rye and so forth, there seems to be only one reason for the narrow range of feed-stuffs on Alabama farms; namely, the one crop ssytem or the want of diversity that is so essential in stock raising and soil improvement. Let me emphasize the further necessity of making good pas- lures by using bermuda grass, carpet grass. lespedeza, bur clover and vetch. The cheapest beef and milk are pro- dueed by good cattle on good pastures. This is true in Alabama as well as Tn Iowa or Cuba.
 ProGres of seh0eas.