Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1912-05-10
DOES TICK ERADICATION PAY,
Dr.. PettibOne Give Sone Figures Per
taing to the Work in Noxubee Co.

OHAVOO OodVCo SuVWo ohoo NOAuOSS
county, Mississippi, had in 1910,
17,778 head of horned cattle of an
average value of $15.17 per head,
q total value of $267,O2S.
This for the value Of all the cat
tie in the county. But the loss
that year was Is per cent of all
the cattle IN the county or total
loss of $13, 351.4O. This was surely
an appalling loss for the county of
Noxubee. A loss which renders
absurd the question whether tick
eradication would pay in Noxubee
cohSty when it is farther shown
that the loss from death by the
cattle tick fever for the entire
state Of Mississippi for the same
year, was the appalling sum of
2,27O, 4l0 from death alone.
What the injury and damage
besides death alone was we have
no means to determine, but it GER
tainly was great sum in addition
to the loss from sheer death.
Now, the money spent by the
United States in the past six years
by the United States Bureau of
Animal Industry in tick eradica-
tion has amounted to fully around
million dollars. And now the
question can be asked and definite
ly answered. Does tick eradication
pay! Let the facts strictly de
termine.
In the past six years 14S, 900
square miles of southern territory
have been absolutely cleared of
cattle ticks, and taken out Of quar-
antine. Upon this area-fully
three times as large as the entire
state Of Mississippi, there lived
the owners Of at least Y, 44O, 900
head Of horned cattle, and these
cattle were fully and completely
cleared of cattle ticks. And they
were also forever relieved from the
misery of the cattle ticks, and as
to the cattle the cost Of tick eradi-
cation certainly paid. But did it
otherwise pay! Well those cattle
by their great growth in flesh,
and better appearance, in weight,
and health, and rise in value as
beef stock, and in ready cash rose
in cash value from $5S, 119, 900 to
$50, ,O85. 73O. Or a clear net profit
of $21, 965, 7SO to the cattle owners,
or more than $21.00 for every
dollar paid out by Uncle Sam in
the work of tick eradication. But
this entire million of dollars was
paid by Uncle Sam. Did he get
paid, and if so, hows Yes, indeed.
And more fully and richly paid
than even the cattle owners. Be-
cause during these six years vast
deal has been learned about cattle
ticks, and how to utterly eradicate
them. And because the people of
many great states have been saved
many millions of dollars of loss,
and will be saved hundreds of mil
lions by the complete proof that
the great evil can be utterly oblit-
Grated and blotted out. 1t is evil
dent now that the cattle tick evil
must 60, albeit it may be foOlishly
delayed. The blood of the cattle
in the south is to be entirely re-
newed. In place of the scrawny
tick infested scrubs which now dis
grace the herds of the south are to
come the great, sleek, and fat
Short. horns, the round Polled An
gus, and the heavy white faced
Herefords, the blooded Jerseys and
Guernseys that shall bring honor
and not shame to the state.
There is to be marked advance
in the agriculture of the south!
The Boys Corn Clubs have come
to stay. Bennie Beeson, that splen-
did Mississippi boy who on a sin
gle acre has last season raised his
remarkable crop of 227 bushels Of
sound corn, has done something
more than raise q marvellous crop
of corn. He has demonstrated that
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