East Mississippi times. (Starkville, Miss.) 19??-1926, 1913-04-18
Tick Eradication in Oktibbeha Cbuuty
Nashville, Tenn, April II, 1913.
Editor East Mississinni rimaS.

That the Texas, or tick fever, or
domestic cattle is now the great
bane of all southern agriculture is
a clear and undisputed fact. In
deed the annual loss, cost, in sheer
waste which alone comes from this
great pest and nuisance, is estima-
ted by the axperts of the Z. S
Department of Agriculture to be
mot less than $4,000, 200 for the
entire Sunny South, and the
statisticians of the Centra! Of Geol-
gia Railroad place the yearly loss
and waste of the two states alone.
Georgia and Alabama to be not
less than $1,000 900. And sim
liar loss yearly to Mississippi.
Now. these, Mr., Editor, are great
and fearful losses, and they would
seem increditable if they were not
so fully attested, But facts are
facts And they can not be gain
said by any amount of incredulity.
And now what is to be done?
Shall the people sit down in
dumb despair and wait for the cat
tie vermin to die outl But they
won't die out. No! They have
come to stay till they are Stamped
out and eradicated, Bat can this
be done and if so, will it really and
truly pay9 That it can be done,
aud will surely pay. | stoutly
maintain. Let the cold facts de-
termine the matter.
1t is now about six years since this
Bureau undertook in dead earnest
the work of tick eradication in
the Sunny South. 1t began
the work in utter inexperience,
and with everything to learn.
But it continued the work in
good report and in evil report.
1t in due time invented, perfected
and introduced the dipping vats,
and the arsenical dip solution.
And now, after six years of
work, it sees more than 1877 900
square miles, or more than 1907
900, 900 acres ST southern soil and
territory utterly freed from the
calamity and nuisance of cattle tick.
This is an area US large as the
states combined of South Carolina,
Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi.
This work cost Uncle SAM
fully one million round dollars,
besides the sums contributed by
the several states.
But now, did this tick eradica-
tion pay9 Well, upon this area
lived the owners of fully 4,440, 600
head OF horned cattle. And these
cattle were not only utterly freed
from the vermin ticks, but they
| began at once to improve in health
and size, and weight. And these
very cattle rose i'll sale yalne from
$5S, 119, $50 to $50, ,0S5, ,720, or a
clear net gain and value to the cat
tie owners OF $2l, ,965, 7S0. Or
more than Kings ransom. Aye,
more than twenty times the entire
cost OF tick eradication. And of
this the great cost was paid byUncle
Sam. And now we don't have to
argue with these cattle owners to
convince them that tick eradication
pays, they have tried it fully, and
they know!
Bnt it must be considered, and
remembered, that those 10000,
600 acres we've greatly enhanced in
value as much as three to five dol
lars per acre! But an exhance.
ment in value of three TO five dol
lars per acre would be for 120, 600
| 900 acres from 100000, 700 to-
5000, 900, 900! Now, does this seem
incredlble9 Well, let us Le more
modest and moderate. Let us
agree for arguments sake, that
the increase i'll value was only one
dollar per acre! Still, Mr.. Editor
an increase of only ont dollar per
acre would be for ~ 200, 900 acres
exactly $120,0O0,0oUl Aud this
would be more than hundred