Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1907-11-14
TEXAS FEVER TICK
Reasons Why Marion County
Should Take Preventative
Action.
To the Sequachee Valley News.

To the Sequachee Valley News:
The press is not only the peoples
best defender, but it is more, it is the
public's best schoolmaster. Will you
not therefore lend me space in the Val
ley News wherein may talk to your
readers on topic which very greatly
concerns them? | refer to the Texas
cattle fever, and the malignant cattle
tick, which alone carries and transmits
the disease.
This pest, which a few years ago
was mere bagatelle has spread and
widened its area until now the annual
loss and cost to our people in Tennessee
is not less than "a, 600, 600. But, saws
some doubling Thomas, how can this
bef Well, great many cattle do year
ly lie down and die. This is very
dead loss A still greater number are
so stunted and injured as to be render
ed almost worthless. Besides there is
the great loss of butter and milk and
meat in quantity. No, not in quanti-
ty alone, for can a COW whose veins
are filled with poison virus, furnish
either milk orr meat fit for human
food? But the great money loss to the
cattle owners is in the very great
shrinkage in the sale price of all cattle
marketed. For example: The writer
two weeks since addressed a court
house full of farmers at Lexington, in
Henderson County, and the question
was distinctly put to them, what was
the average price of beef cattle on the
hoof, or by live weight, in that coun-
ty? The answer agreed to by all was
that the average price of such cattle
was about two cents per pound. While
at that very time, and now too, the
price of such cattle in Sumner County
is four and half cents. SO that a
/, 900 pound steer ON hoof, in Hender-
son county, which would only bring
the owner SEQ, would bring in Sumner
County, $45. A cool difference of $25
on single steer.
Now, by the u. S. census, there are
2, 900, 900 horned cattle in Tennessee
less than one for each inhabitant. And
an average loss on each head of only
two dollars is $4,000, 900! The only
doubt about these figures is that the
yearly loss is stated at too low figure.
But this loss is worse than thrown
away, for the disease is self-propaga-
ting and will surely continue to injure
and curse the farmers and cattle own
ers until it is effectually stamped out.
Now, the purpose of this letter is to
arouse and arrest attention. And GER
tain facts should be burned into the
memory of all cattle owners. Among
them are that the cause of the disease
is a microscopic germ, which is alone
carried and transmitted by that pecul-
lar tick known to science as ''boophil-
us annulatus, or the cow-loving tick.
This tick is not an old settler, but a
over the south by the shipping of Tex
as cattle. 1t came into Texas from
Mexico. 1t came into Mexico from
Old Spain. The old settlers, like the
wood ticks, the net ticks, the lone star
ticks, the castor bean ticks, are COM
paratively harmless, even if they do
annoy. But the fever ticks are to 9th
er ticks what the copperhead is to
other harmless, but still squirming
snakes. Their bite is deadly Anoth-
er fact is to kill all the ticks is to
stamp out the pestilence But they
are found on the bodies of cattle, and
on the ground of infected fields and
pastures. Well, how kill them on live
cattle2 Attention, right here. Every
thing that lives must have and con-
sumo the vital air or it must speedily
die, No one is so stupid as not tC
know this But ticks nor other insects
have no real lungs How then do they
breathe? And the answer of the wise
microscope is that the skins of ticks
| E,,11 &c - nir
ticks breathe through their skins.
Now, the dullest and stupidest car
surely understand this. And, Mr.. Ed
itor, your readers are neither dull MOI
stupid Just cover every tick with {
good thick film of any oily grease, ant
you will kill, you must kill, every ticl
so covered. 1t is as sure as death o.
destiny. But how to apply the grease
or oily Well, just pick of the big fa
ticks and be sure to burn or utterly de
stroy them. Don't let them fall off OF
the ground for they are females swol
len with eggs and milk, then lay thei,
eggs and infect the whole neighbor
hood And then with swab or spong,
rub full and generous quantity o
grease over all the lesser ticks. Greas
the animal well whenever the ticks Cal
be found. Just little in spots won
do. Use plenty of grease, and gool
deal of common sense, and you vii
kill every tick.
But how as to fields and pastures?
Well, very close attention right here
No female tick ever lays her eggs OF
the body of the COW brute. No, never
But when the great fat female is abou
to lay her myriads of eggs, from $50
to 5000, she by instinct craws out ol
the long hair, and falls off on tn
ground, and then on the grass or her
bage she proceeds to lay 1900 to 300
eggs, and then she dies. But thes
eggs will all in from 13 to 40 days
. according to the weather, hatch on
into young, very small seed ticks
whose only food is cattle blood. An
since many ticks will fall off the sam
cow brute, why all must see that 500
! that pasture will be filled with swarm
/ and colonies OF hungry seed ticks, an
then when the next COW or steer come
} browsing along, these hungry see
J ticki will. especially If the anims
{ should lie down. crawl mp its legs b
3 scores and hundreds, TO where the ski
is thin between the fianks. and els,
where. and there bite, and bore, an
suck blood, and grow and moult. an
! breed anew, and meantime bite int
. the live flesh of the COW or steer th
...-'rs of the deadly Texas feven
ierc. Nr. ElitU, T. TIE very gen'