The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1906-09-13
THE ia pile TICK
CAUSES GREAT LOSS no THE
WESTERN FARMERS.
Tairy Cattle Not So B4dly Affected
But There is Muohs 1T oss
There, Some Facts.


Goyernment experts recently sent
out to investigate the ravages of cat
Sle tick report that bslow the Quaran-
Gine there are something over $4,000
900 ca5Gle, the total farm value OF
which is given by the last census as
nearly s1s3, 900, 900. The dairy cat.
tie are credited with value Of about
s5S. $50 600 and the other cattle with
over s124, 600. 900. From observation
and experience 1t Is estimated that a
shrinkage in. value of 20 per cent IN
cattle other than dsiry cattle Is due
directly to the effects Of the tick. In
round numbers this would mean loss
OF S25, 010, ,0oo, for beef cattle.
The dairy csttle being better cared
for and to . large extent confined 10
lots whore the tick do not flourish or
even exist, suffer less damage How
ever, considerable damage is expert
enced in 3 great many instsr cas, es.
peclslly in the country, because of the
extra feed required and the shrink
age In this f jw Of milk caused by TICK
infestion./ 1T Is b lieyed that an esti-
mate of five per cent of the total val
ne OF the dairy cattle Is not over
charging the tick. This means an an.
nual lloss of nearly 90. 900 600 for dairy
osttle. The total depreciation of
southern cattle on acs ount Of the tick
would be s28 600, 900.
The loss from exposure In the south
ern states Is partially due to the ne
gligencs Of the people in regard to
their cattle. Seldom is any provision
made for shelter or any additional
feed, The excessive LOGS from expo.
sure and disease In the tick-infested
states must be ascrihed to the tick.
The loss in the states with the most
equsble climates Is greatest because
tick actively is greatest there and the
tick season Is tho longer.
The total number Of cattle that
died In the ck.infested district dur
ing the year ending March 81, 1916,
was about 1880, ,00), death tsing due
largely to'exposure. This loss colsti
tutes nearly so per cent Of the total
loss suffered by the whole country,
and yet the tick.infe5ted states con-
tain barely 25 per cent Of the country
cattle. The average value Of these
southern cattle, both milk and beef
breeds. may be put at s12, according
to the bureau Of statistics; therefore
the total annual loss from death il
the tick-infasted states amounted to
Sis, 900, 900. The average death rate
In quarantiued Etates being nearly
threa times as great'as that In the
tick fres states, it is not unfair to as.
sumo that two thirds Of ttis. loss by
death Is directly attributable to the
tick, that 10, 10000, 200.
The average value Of southern cot.
tie is 81 below that Of northern cattle.
In the state OF Arkansas beef cattle
are given farm value Of 81 80 per
head. The cattle of Iowa are valued
at 9.42-almost three times as
much. II 10000 900 cattle OF better
blood could take the place OF l2,000,'
900 scrups, the valuation Of southern
cattle would be about sS4, 600, 900 more
than it is today. The southern states
with the tick gone, would soon double
and ev0n treble the number Of cat.
f;le In the northern states.
One OF the greatest benefits that
would follow the eradication Of the
cattle tick would be the increased
fertility Of the soil that would result
from a great cattle industry In the
south. Instead Of exporting as now
90 foreign countries-over 1000, ,000,.
300 pounds OF cotton seed meal year.
Iy, which If converted into beef would
bring from s6, 600 to $4,000, 600
mere than is received for it from
abroad, it could DO fed to cattle, and
thus would be kept at home the enor.
nous amount of fertilizer Of which
he farms are row robbsd, besides se-
airing ehe 0,000,0 900 extra value for
me finished product. The fertilizer
aved to the lands Of the south would
100000 in direct value.
It is believed that, all told, the
Ioush loses annually between $780,.
100 900 and 5000, 900, 900 through the
ayages Of the tick.
l