Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-09-01

forts to establish good herds, but met
failure. They kept at it, attributing their
losses to the climate. feed or faulty hand
ling These men were naturally live
stock men, but were soon convinced that
whatever was the cause of that quar-
antine, handicap. 1t had something to do
with developing cattle at home safely
and profitably.
The news of the real cause of the
rigid quarantine finally announced in
1923 put new spoke in the wheel of
science. The tick, so familiar to all cat
tie men of the south. was charged with
the whole trouble, because it was found
that this tick carried certain micro-or-
gansms in its body, and when 1t in
tested cattle and began to draw blood
for it's growth. at this time the micro
organisms in the ticks body were trans
mitted to the blood of cattle, thus pro-
ducing disease in every calf that was
dropped in the presence of the tick. The
calf did not die, perhaps but was stunt
ed in growth and carried the disease
germs in its system throughout life The
young calf was found to have tolerance
for the disease that grown animals did
not have, if the grown animals had been
raised where there were no ticks. This
was very important point; it really
prevented the introduction of well bred
cattle from above the line to improve
our home herds. When such cattle were
imported and come in contact with ticks,
they would sicken and oftentimes die,
and even If they did not die, they soon
became unthrifty and disappointment
to the owner. This condition. seemed
hopeless and the Georgia farmer al
ways being accustomed to seeing ticks on
cattle, put little faith in the tick theory
but he certainly did realize that ticks
were very harmful to home cattle, and
soon saw the Importance of keeping
ticks off milk cows. He learned that
ticRy cows would hardly supply the home
with enough milk and butter for family
use. Simply finding out the tick was a
disease carrier was not a solution of the
problem Some methods Of doing away
with the tick must be worked out. Fur
Their study proved that the common cat
tie tick depended on cattle only for its life
and reproduction, going through all but
the egg stage on the bodies Of cattle
This point being clearly demonstrated
and substantiated Ii was easy then to
formulate plans for relief and complete
determination. BY keeping ticks off cattle
by use of some disinfectant applied by
spray pump or dipping vat for period
of time the young ticks on the ground
would die from starvation. However, 1t
a
depending upon weather conditions, and
season of the year, for the young ticks
to die 1t is easily seen all that is neces-
sary to do is to keep cattle away from
ticks OF keep ticks away from cattle
by treatment, and the young ticks Will
die on the ground The method Of com
plete determination is simple and mex
pensive.
The best and cheapest treatment found
is white arsenic (99 per cent pure) s
pounds. sal-soda, "a pounos, boiled in 80
or 40 gallons of water until thoroughly
dissolved When cool enough that you
can about bear younr hand in the solu-
ton, add one gallon of pure tar and
stir, then add enough cold water to
make 500 gallons, and the solution Is
ready to apply to cattle. This prepara-
ton is POISONOUS and should be used
with great care. 1t should be applied
all. over each animal, commencing the
treatment when ticks begin TO appear on
cattle This preparation costs less than
one-fourth Of cent per head each treat
ment: II will kill ALI the ticks without
injury to the animal; in fact, improve
ment will soon be noticed in the cattle.
Cattle should be watered before dipping
In a vat and not driven far before or
after treatment
A great many people think cattle ticks
are everywhere, especially in old woods
pastures They are not, however, unless
cattle are there or have been on the
pasture recently Horses and mules will
carry the cattle tick so they are to be
considered; other animals are not fac
tor in eradication work.
The presence of this tick is the main
hindrance In developing cattle here in
Georgia, and people who have studied the
subject know 1t, but there has not been a.
very great desire on the part of the
farmers as a whole to encourage much
of a cattle industry, but that sentiment
today is rapidly changing 1t is known
fact that cattle are essential in any great
farming country like Georgia, it matters
not what the crops may be. and besides
It is time Georgia farmers must consider
raising something to eat as wen as to
wear. and it is time now to begin build
ing up the soil permanently, which can
be Gone only by the use of manure or
something of a manurial nature. like
green cover crops turned and allowed to
decay. II the latter is done 1t will pay
to first feed it through cattle.
If the cattle fever tick was removed
and our cattle improved in numbers and
quality, and our cotton seed meal fed at
home. and the millions of acres of idle
land at home utilized for cattle, at least
s5O,000,00o would be saved annually to the
state.
The average production of our main
crops for the state of Georgia per acre
are: Cotton, ia pounds lint; corn, IA bush-l
els; wheat, 10 - bushels; oats. IS BUSH
els. These are our main crops. and they
are produced by the use of S20,00O.000 to
s25. 100000 worth of commercial fertilizer
annually, with no permanent improve
ment of the soil. Now. if this commercial
fertilizer was reinforced with barnyard
manure the yield would be Increased at
least threefold and the saving in actual
dollars and cents and human energy
would be enormous
Nature will not tolerate incessant abuse,
and the warning is being sounded in the
way of cotton plant diseases and insect
infestation.
The question OF efficient labor is to be
considered; labor Is expensive and ineffi-
cient today. but cattle Will greatly solve
these questions; in fact. cattle raising
and feeding win solve the whole question