The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-10-11
COL. PETTIDONE
ON TEXAS TICK
U. S. AGENT GIVES VALUABLE IN
FORMATION TO THE FARM
ERs or MAURY.
CAUSE AND REMEDY
Enormous Cost Of The Infection 70
The Cattle Interests Of
Tennessee.

Col. A. H. Pettibone. agent Of the
United States Department Of Agricul-
ture. who has made a study OF many
years Of the Texas OF Southern cattle
tick, has contributed an article on
this subject to The Herald, which
will be Of special interest to the farm
ers of Maury county at this time.
Col Pettibone writes as follows:
ITO the Editor OF The Herald:
'Will you grant me a little space
in your columns wherein I may talk
TO your readers on topic which great
ly concerns them and all the citizens
OF your county, and indeed OF the en-
tire State?
81 refer to the Texas fever in do
nestle cattle That 1t is a fact that
this contagion has made great inroads
in the State of Tennessee is certainly
known, and generally understood.
But It is not fully realized or known
that this pest and plague is now an
nually costing the Southern cattle
owners not less than the vast sum Of
100000, and is yearly dead waste
and tax on the people of Tennessee OF
not less than 100000; and this
great sum is worse than thrown away!
But some doubling Thomas viii
say how can this be- Well, there
are now by the U. S. census in Ten
nessee, about 1900 600 head OF horned
cattle and a loss of only 50 per head
is clearly 1000, 900. A moments refec-
ton, and a meagre knowledge Of facts
will demonstrate that the great money
loss is in the big shrinkage in the
market, or sale price of all cattle
marketed.
"For example. In November last. /
the writer was in McNairy and Ches-
ter counties, and on careful inquiry |
he found that cattle were selling,
when they could be sold at all, for
from / to IL cents per pound, live
weight But passing directly to Obion
county he found that just such cattle
were being snapped up by eager buy
ers from st. Louis and Chicago at
cents per pound, live weight. And
here was this clear difference. A
steer weighing on hoof say 1000
which in McNairy or Chester
would only bring its owner from $40
to SIS sold readily in Obion for $40
at the same time.
'tWhy this difference Of at least s25
On a single steer, Well, stop and
McNairy and Chester coun-
les are badly tick infested and below
the quarantine line, while Obion is
above the quarantine, and free from
ticks and Texas fever This is the
entire story.
Loss From Death. u
"But a great many cattle do each
,ear lie down and die from this affec-
ion, each one Of which ought nor
nally to be worth many times twod
iollars. And then too, very great
number which do not actually die are
20 stunted and injured as to be rem
ered mere worthless scrubs. And
hen there is the great Joss of milk,
nd in quality also for how can an
nimal whose veins are filled with a
,oison virus, furnish either milk or
neat fit for human food? And not
he least injury is the discouraging
ct back to the whole cattle industry
D a state, second to none in the en-.
ire union, as field for raising splen- !
i'd breeds of cattle, at a time when
ne cattle never brought such prices
S now. Mr.. Editor, the only criti-
ism on the statement that the Texas
ever is costing Tennessee $4,000, 900 :
year is that 1t is away below the ac- Q
lal truth.
The Cause. 9
About the cause then no longer U
he smalled doubt or question The
roof is piled on proof The true, the ,
Die, the only cause of Texas fever
cattle is a microbic germ. virulent Q
a vital. which is alone and only car q
ed and transmitted by that peculiar T
ok, known to science as Hoophelus q
or the cow-loving tick. No D.
cks no fever is a maxim true, certain, e.
Id exact. u
The Cure. u
The sure and absolute cure for this n
re contagion, about which public az
Union is being widely reused in Ten Gu
,ssee, is, in few words, kill all the re
ks Kill them all on live cattle, q
d kill them on tick infested grounds
n pastures This&is the whole mat