Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-06-24
Tick Eradication Resumed.

The Bureau Of Animal Industry of
the United States Department Of Ag-
riculture Is resuming active opera
tions for the eradication OF the cattle
ticks which prevail In the southern
part of the country and transmit the
contagion of Texas fever of cattle.
Its men are being sent into the field
and preparations are being made to
push the work OF determination vig-
orougsly during the warm weather,
when the ticks are most active.
Since the work was begun, two
years ago, an area Of about $4,000
square miles, or almost the size of
the State of Georgia, has been freed
from the ticks. AS q result the quar-
antine on Southern cattle has been
either modified or entirely removed
from this area. Last year work was
done to a greater or less extent in
the States of Virginia, North Caro-.
bama. Tennessee, Kentucky, Mis-.
souri,, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisi-a
ana, Texas and California, and 1t is
proposed this year to continue In the,
same States with the addition of a
small portion of Mississippi. Most,
of the work has been and will con-,
tinue to be done in sections contigu-
GUS to the quarantine line, the OBJ
ject being to push the line farther.
South from year to year; but en-,
couragement is given to local work
IN any part of the quarantine dis
trict In the assurance that when any,
considerable area is rendered tick
free 1t VIII 5s released from quaran-s'
tine.
The work 10 being done by co-ope-.
t.. H. yol
ment and the State and local au-,
thorities. Congress has appropriated
$250,000 for the year beginning July
L, and 1t is expected that the States,
and counties where the work is car
ried on will duplicate this sum. The
committee on appropriations of the
House Of representatives expressed
itself very strongly to the effect that
the States should bear q reasonable
share Of the cost and that the Fede-
raj work would be mainly confined
to States whore cooperation is re-
ceived
Various methods for exterminat-.
ing the ticks are used, including
transferring the cattle from pasture.
to pasture at suitable intervals, and
dipping, spraying, and hand dressing
the cattle with oil and oil emulsion.
In sections where there are large.
herds and large ranches dipping on,
large scale is practiced, either alone
or In connection with pasture rota-
ton, while in other sections, where
the cattle on some farms frequently.
consist only Ie COW or an OK team,
hand dressing with oil Is found to be
the only practicable method.
The damage caused by the ticks
and the benefits to follow from their
eradication are not generally appre-
ciated. 1t Is estimated that the
Texas fever tick is responsible for
about $40,000,000 of loss annually
to the people of the infected country,
and that 1t also lowers the assets of
the South by an additional S23,250,-,
600, making the enormous aggregate
Of $63,250,000. To wipe out this
heavy loss is the object of the work
now under way, and the results al
ready accomplished leave no doubt
that success is possible, though
number of years will be required for
the completion of the undertaking.
Much depends upon the cattle own
ers, who can either hasten or retard
progress according as they cooperate
or refuse to assist In the work,
Literature giving full information
as to the ticks, the disease which they
transmit, and methods for their Grad
ication has been issued by the De-
partment Of Agriculture and will be
supplied free OF charge on applica-
tion to the Chief of the Bureau of
Animal Industry, Washington, ID. @.