The Lexington advertiser., 1910-05-20
NEWS and VIEWS.
Advantages of Eradicating Ticks.

Advantages of Eradicating Ticks.
The eradication of the cattle tick
means be difference between profitable
and Improbable cattle raising. The
| history of the cattle industry IN the
southern states is conclusive proof that
| the industry cannot prosper with ticks
TO contend with. and with every other
natural advantage for raising and tin-
shing cattle, IL IS only necessary 10
eradicate the ticks TO make this one of
the greatest cattle feeding states in the
union On the cheap lands of the west
where cattle can be grown at mini.
mum cost there is lack of feed with
which to finish them, and most of the
best cattle ere sold for stockers
While on the high priced land of the
east where feed is plentiful, it is no
longer profitable TO raise grade beef
steers consequently the eastern farmer
buys western cattle to consume his
feed and only reaps the profit of finish
ing them.
The Mississippi farmer is in a posi-
tion to obtain the profit of both the
western farmer who grows the cattle
and the eastern farmer who feeds them
state we have the cheap land covered
with Bermuda grass, lespedeza, White
and Burr clover, Carpet and johnson
grass, Meililotis and Alfalfa which
furnishes as good grazing as can be
found anywhere for growing cattle
economically, and In addition we have
corn, hay, cotton. seed, cotton seed
meal and hulls on which TO finish
them. And 1t Is impossible to com.
bine more suitable ration for the
economical production of either beef
or milk, than 10 Corn silage, Cotton
seed meal and hulls, or Silage Cotton
seed meal and hav-and nowhere can
these feeds be grown more profitahly
than in this state.
The function of live stock on the
farm Is to furnish home market for
the crops that are grown, and enable
the farmer to convert his cheap raw
material into higher priced finished
fer tility exit acted from 1t.
The development of the cattle indus.
try would soon enable the farmer to
grow all the cotton now grown on one
half the amount OF land, by reason of
its greater fertility, ana every acre
of the farm would weld q revenue in
stead Of only the cultivated area as is
now the case. ALI the fertilizer re-
quired would be manufacturd.at home,
and the per cent of the total value
of farm crops in the state now spent
annually for commercial fertilizer
would he saved.
Were it not for the cattle tick the |
herds of high grade and pure bred beef
and dairy cattle would rapidly In. |
crease in number.
The state would soon be dott cd over |
with cheese factories and creameries
as in Wisconsin and New York, and |
th. q by products of the dairies convert.
ed into pork. The home market would
be supplied with these products for
which SO much money is now sent to
other states, and car loads of cheese,
and butter, and hogs would each week
be sent from the various railway de.
pots to foreign markets. Then in
stead Of exporting immense quantities
of cotton. n.seed meal and paying other |
people to manufacture it into food pro-
ducts and commercial fertilizer, to be |
returned tot he state, it would be all
fed at home, and train loads of beef
cattle would be shipped south every
winter from the big stock markes to be
fattened and returned.
Chemical analysis shows that ton
of cotton seed meal is worth over
500. 90, as fertilizer, and experiments
at the A. q M. College have shown
that after it has been fed to q good
beef steer or dairy COW it is still prac-
tically as valuable. SO the. e.farmer who
now buys ton of cotton seed meal to
use only as fertilizer loses the profit
of feeding it.
The eradication of the cattle tick
and the consequent development of the
cattle industry, would develop di-
versiied system of agriculture which
would replace the old one crop system,
which is speculative and conducive to
poverty of both soil and people. The
products of the land determine it's val
ue and if we could take portion of
the land that is now producing only
1.3 OF bale cotton per acre, and make
it produce from 3, 900 to 5000 pounds
of milk per acre to be sold at 1c to &c
per pound, or 105 to 200 pounds beef
valued at 12 to 4c per pound, or 300
to 500 pounds of pork at &c per ponud
in addition to increasing its fertility
would it not speedily increase in val
ue, do away with the credit system,
and the farmers become more prosper.
ous2 Nothing will so enhance the
price of land, and induce the immigra
tion of desirable class of settlers, and
increase the revenue of the farmers,
as would the eradication of the cattle
tick. The weakest point in southern
agricultural at present is the undevel-
oped condition of the cattle industry,
which is due entirely to the effect of
ticks.
Owing to the invasion of the boil
weevil which is now firmly established
in tho state, farmers will necessarily
have to change their system of agricul-
ture as the growing of cotton will be
less profitable tnan it now is. The
eradication of the cattle tick will more
than offset the invasion of the boil
weevll by enabling the farmer to make
his hay, grain, corn, grass, ETC., to
good cattle for beef or milk. and de-
rive revenue from all his waste land,
thus preventing reduction In the
value of his farm, besids widening the
market in which he can buy and sell