The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-06-07
FEVER TICKS
MAY BANKRUPT
CRAIG COUNTY

Oklahoma cAy June 5--In a letter
ito DR.. L. J, Allen of Fort Worth. in
speetor in charge Of the feaoral bu-
reau Of animal Industry for Texas and
Oklahoma. NJ F. Ikard of the live
stock department Of the Oklahoma
board Of agriculture, outlines the work
being done by the Oklahoma board
toward cleaning" the state Of the
Texas fever tick Dr. Allen will urge
The Texas department to adopt sim
liar campaign to the end of getting
all OF the southwest free from the in
fection. Mr.. Ikard says
The tick eradication has at last
reached the point where the farmers
and the cattlemen know and realize
the Importance of cleaning their cattle
of the Texas fever tick that causes
a loss of thousands of dollars per
year to the cattlemen and farmers Of
Oklahoma. The farmer is the heavy
loser, for ,he has but small bunch
and keeps them in his pastures. Dur
ing the year of 1911 the stock yards
of Oklahoma City alone received into
the quarantine of southern cattle pens
10S, 1877 head of cattle chat could not
be shipped to or sold for stockers and
feeders in any of the country above
the federal quarantine line which was
loss to the owners from $4 to $S
per head Using the lowest estimate
($4) and basing it upon the supposi-
tion that all could have been sold as
stockers or feeders the loss on those
shipments alone, to say nothing of
the loss from cattle dying with the
fever, would have been $432,7SS.
THE time was when the board of
agriculture and its inspectors and the
federal inspectors had to almost force
the work on the people, but al. that
has been changed. There is more
work in sight today than can be sue
cessfully carried on with the limited
appropriation that the board OF agri-
culture has been allowed for this work.
New work will begin July in Usage,
Washington, Creek, Nowata Craig.
Ottawa. Lincoln, Pottawatomie, Nc
Claim, Grady, Comanche. Tillman and
Stephens counties This new terri
tory represents 2,373.000 acres Of land
and there will be perhaps other coun-
ties that will take up the work by July
| L. The vast amount of work that Isl
now being done in fifteen counties and
the 100000 and over acres that were
put above the federal quarantine line
last year show that it will be but
few years until Oklahoma will be free
from the dreaded pest
''The people are beginning to see
that it pays to raise better stock than
is usually found in the tick infested
areas, and that there is more money
to be made in cattle raised above the
federal line. The expense that the
state and county incur is insignificant
compared to the saving to the farmer
in death losses among his cattle and
the increased market to which he can
ship his cattle While he is south Of.
the federal quarantine line, his cattle
can only be sold as fat cattle or can
ners He can not get the benefits Of
the brisk demand for stockers or feed
ers, as the law requires cattle shipped
to the southern yards to be immediate
| ly slaughtered, and as the packers
are the only buyers who can handle
the stock in this manner, you can
readily see that it is in their power.
to TX, arbitrarily, the price to be paid.
so long as county is below the
quarantine line the farmer dare not
introduce pure.bred stock from the
north and try to Improve his herd
he must be contented to let matt
rock along as they have in the
The people that are below the quar-
antine line should realize that they
can not raise cattle and ticks in the
same pastures and compete either IN
fat or quality with those that have not
ticks"