Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1908-04-23
TICKS And LAW
The Relation of the Cattle Fever
Tick to the Quarantine Laws.

The object of this article is to en-
deavOr to clear up the many erroneous
ideas that have gotten into circulation
regarding the work of tick eradi dication
in this county.
On account Of the prevalence of the
fever ticks in part of this state the
Government and State authorities have
drawn line through Tennessee, in
Guiding less than half of the State in
the quarantined area. This they call
the quarantine line and forbid the
movement of cattle across this line,
unless they are shipped for immediate
slaughter. Such cattle shall only be
shipped in cars labeled Southern sr
Infected Cattle, and shall be kept in
separate pens, to be killed within ten
days.
AS result of these restrictions the
cattle from below the line sell from
s.. 90 to $15. 90 per head less than cat
tie from above the line, because the
Southern cattle, as has just been ex-
planned, must be sold in few days for
beef only and and cannot be sold in
the open market for feeding or breed
ing purposes
The census gives the average num-
er of cattle for each county of this
state as about 10, 900, and if by raising
the quarantine the cattle here will
bring only s.. 90 head more, it means
that this county will be $50, 600. 90
richer Just as soon as this is accom-
plished. About one third of the cattle
are sold each year. That will mean an
annual income to the farmers and
stock traders of about SIG, 900. 90.
| A few words about the ticks. Many
persons do not know that there are
different kinds of ticks ALI ticks look
alike to them. But there is a consid-
cradle and important difference in
both the appearance and the damage
that these ticks do.
The commonly termed wood or dog
tick has been here for ages and no
doubt will always be here, and it is
not this tick that the authorities are
trying to exterminate; but it is the
Texas fever or Murrain tick, which
has only been here about twenty years
and were brought here on Texas ponies
and Alabama cattle, that they are af-
ter. 1t is different shaped tick than
the wood or dog tick, and its life's his
tory is also different
The Texas Fever tick can only de-
velop on cattle, horses and mules, and
they have never been found on birds,
dogs. squirrels, rabbits or other small
animals This has been proven by ex-
periments These fever ticks, when
very small, crawl upon the cattle as
they pass through the bushes and tall
grass, and mott or shed their skin
twice in two weeks, then they are sex
ually mature and insert their sucking
! apparatus into the hide of the COW
, brute and draw off its life blood that
should go to make milk, fat and gooC
beef; but instead keep the animal in g
half starved condition, and when OF
milk COWS cause them to give dimin
ished milk supply, The term "scrul
J cattle could hardly be known if it
were not for these ticks.
After the mature female tick get
T full of blood and eggs she drops off the
, COW and crawls along the ground, get
under leaf or piece of wood, and lay
2 from I, 500 to 3, 900 eggs and then dies
S These eggs hatch in form two to fou
2 weeks in warm weather, as minut
little ticks, sometimes called ''seet
t ticks" which crawl upon the blade
of grass, bushes and fence posts, an,
wait for cattle to pass their way. The,
t then grab on to the hair as the anima
S brushes by and begin their life's work
/ The life of tick in warm weathe
t and under favorable conditions i
7 about two months 1t can readily b
t seen from this that there may be tw
or three generations of ticks in on
: season; so that one female mature il
t the spring may be the source of mil
t lions of ticks in the fall.
c From this description it is plainl
f evident that this tick is different froI
h the wood or dog tick, and it is upo
= these facts, which have been demon
# strated over and over again, that tn
}. work of determination of the feve
ticks is based.
"Why is it cattle can have thes
ticks on them and not die, when the
are called fever ticksY' is questio
, often asked These Texas fever ticl
;, inject into the blood circulation of tn
d COW brute germ which causes th
:, fever in susceptible animals, just {
y the MOSQUITO causes malaria or yello
II II fever in man. When these ticks g
"a on full grown COW brute that nevt
u had ticks before the COW soon die
:, and this happens in from 80 to 75 p'
u cent. of the cases. The reason yo
" see cattle with ticks on them and NJ
- suffering from the fever is becaui
- these animals became infested wit
- these ticks when they were calves, an
. this gave them an immunity; as calv
are not very susceptible to the diseas
on the same principle that measels al
small pox seldom kill children, b1
- both diseases are very fatal to adults.
e. The state and Government author
ic ties say that if the people of a coun
~ will keep their cattle free of few
re ticks for one season that they will r
}, lease that county from the quarantil
l. restrictions and the cattle can be so
in the open market any time duriI
the year. All the states below Il
OF quarantine line, which extends fro
lie the Atlantic TO the Pacific coast, a
working to get rid of this pest and
n remove the ban from the cattle lndu
~ try. Each state has enacted laws
~ back up the authorities in their wO
of determination.
!, Ii is under the laws of the State
). Tennessee in cooperation with {
lu laws of the United States Cover
10 ment, that the work in this county
hafvar