Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-09-27
BUYING CATTLE NORTH OF oUARRAN-


i. j. W., Qultman, ia. writes: About o
month ago man brought a carload of hogs
and cattle from Tennessee down here, and
sold them to different farmers. l bought
nice bull and a COW from him. 1t is reported
by different purchasers that these cattle are
dying very fast. DO you suppose tick fever is
, the cause? My cattle were inclined to be
sick for a week or two with bowel trouble
but / kept them in the lot and fed them
like horses and they all right now. | do
not want to lose my cattle. Would incubation
do any good and where can l have it done?
Apparently. the cattle to which you refer
as having been brought in from Tennessee
are not immune to tick fever, and ticks having
infested them are responsible for their death.
IIck fever is probably at its worst the middle
OF August to the mIudie % September in this
state. The weather conditions tnen Iavor the
rapid Matching and development of the ticks.
Ii is a mistake to buy catue that have come
from north of the quarantine line unless
they have been properly lnmunizzed, for il
put on tick infested pastures they will very
shortly succumb to the disease.
Ticks may be cleaned from pastures by
keeping animals off the land Tor one year or
by rotation of pastures. They may be kept
OFF the animals by hand picking ana by spray
ing with crude petroleum. Where the method
OF oiling is resorted to. 1t is necessary TO Sc
cure the animals and spray every part Of thenl
Great care should be taken to see that tho
under part of the body and the inner part OF
the flanks covered with oil as the ticks
lot, AID feeding them as you are now dol&.
men and pass unobserved. Only few ticks are
necessary to prUuuce case Of Texas fever III
animals brought from north of the quarantine
line. The only way to prevent such animals
from succumblng To the disease as TO keep the
ticks of of them by some OF the methods sug-
gested confirming them. for instance, IN bare
LOT, and tedeing them as you are now doing
Animals may be immuned against tick fe-
YER IL is possible to do this with mature an
uuals though IL is better to purchase them
and bring them south when they are young.
preferably in tue fall of the year. They may be
immunizpd by taking the blood from an animal
thar has had ticks it either this year
or last and inserting il under the skin or the
animal to be mmunized. A small dose should
be used at first and Increased IN subsequent
treatments Probably three or four NEGOTIATIONS
will be necessary. While it is not a particularly
difficult operation, il must be done with great
care and cleanliness so as TO oDVlate any dan
ger OF infection. We are not prepared 10 III
oculate cattle at the college this year as
our veterinary department is just being estab~
liShed and. our barns and laboratories have NOT
been completed. 1t Is possible that the state
veterinarian would he willing to undertake the
! inoculatiou of your cattle, aud l would Suggest
that Won communicate with him at Atlanta
Some people who are raising cattle north or
the quarantine line continue 10 brlng them
south and sell them in tick infested areas
| nossibly hccause they are not acquainted WIFI
tbe virulencc of the disease. while others do
4 n without regard to the losses which are
sure 10 follow on the part Of those who pur'
chase the animals. 1t is important that every
! farmer acuuaint himself with this fact, and
br ,,r.ngrrd To- protect himself from imposition
or loss through the purchase OF unlmmunlzed
animals The college Of agriculture Will always
he IIcag,d TO advise farmers how To proceed
I'm nrott Ctin. their stock or III the purchase ut
,nrr hired stock for the Improvement Of the an
mails in Civ n locality. by proceeding along
no ri1rht lines danger of toss may h. avoided
and improved sires brought in with comparative
safety