The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1908-06-20
VOL. XXXI.
Trek Eradication Resumed.

of the u. 3. Department of Agri-
culture is resuming active opera
tions for the eradication of the cat
tie ticks which prevail il the SOU
thern part of the country anti
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 vigorously du-
ring the warm weather, when the
ticks are most active.
Since this 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 result
the quarantine on southern cattle
has been either modified or entire
ly removed from this area. Last
year work was done to a greater
or less extent in the States of Vir-
ginia. North Carolina, South Caro-
lima, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee,
Kentucky. Missouri, Arkansas, Ok
lahoma, Louisiana. Texas, and Cal
ifornia, and it is proposed this year
to continue in the same States
with the addition of a small por-
ton of Mississippi. Most of the
work has been and will continue
to be done in sections contiguous
to the quarantine line, the object
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 it will be released from
quarantine.
The work is being done by CO.
operation between the Federal
government and the State aud To-
esf authorities. Congress has af,-l
propriated $3.50, 900 for the year
beginning July l. and it is expect
ed that the States aud counties
where the work is carried on will
duplicate this sum. The commit
tee ON appropriations of the House
of Representatives expressed itself
very strongly to the effect that the
States should bear a reasonable
share of the cost and that the Fed
eral work should be mainly confin-
ed to States where cooperation is
received.
Various methods of exterminat-
ing the ticks are used, including
transferring the cattle from pasture
to pasture at suitable intervals,
aud dipping, spraying, and hand
dressing the cattle with oil and oil
emulsion. In sections where there
are large heards and large ranches
dipping on large scale is practic-
ed, either alone or in connection
with pasture rotation, while in 9TH
er sections, where the cattle on
some farms frequently consist only
of COW or an OK team, hand dress
ing 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
appreciated. 1t is estimated that
the Texas-fever tick is responsible
for about $4O,OOO,OOO of loss an
ua'ly to the people of the infect
ed country, and that 1T also lowers
the assets of the South by an adj
ditional $23, $50, 900, making the
enormous aggregate of S63. $50, 600.
To wipe out this heavy loss is the
object of the work now under way,
and the results already accomplish
ed leave no doubt that success is
possible, though number of
years will he required for the COM
pletion of the undertaking. Much
depends upon the cattle owners,
who can either hasten or retard