The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1913-08-23
THE TICKS 1NJUR|NG HIDES
Tanners Cannot Use Hides From
Tick Infested Districts for
Chrome Leather.

washington. ID. G., August Il /,
1913, According to figures gather.
ed by one of the veterinary inspect
ors of the Bureau of Animal InduC-
try, the presence of the tick among
the cattle of the south not only
lessons the value of the cattle on
the hoof but causes the grading of
hides that have been infested with
ticks as No. A quality.
The same hide, if free from tick
marks, would grade No. 2. The
difference in price between these
two grades of hides is 3 cents per
pound. As the hide of southern
Isteers weighs about AZ pounds, the
Ipresence of the ticks in the hide
cause loss in the hide alone more
than $1.26 per hide. Government
specialists point out that the cost
of tick eradication is only about so
cents per head so that if the coun-
ties make systematic campaign to
eradicate the tick, the increase in
value Of the hide alone would pay
for the cost of tick eradication and
leave the farmer net profit of
about 76 cents per hide.
The hide situation is becoming
serious. A prominent tanner in
Pennsylvania states:
"For the class of leather we
make we prefer Southern hides for
chrome on account of the close tex
ture and fine grain, but on account
of the ticks we have had to practi-
cally stop purchasing Southern
hides"
This is particularly significant as
the demand for chrome leather is
increasing so that the normal de-
mand for southern hides will be
still further decreased. A large
percentage of the chrome leather
now produced is finished with the
grain left on so that all imperfec-
tions and tick marks on the grain
side show very plainly. In the old
days when all the leather for up
pers was made from bark tanned
stock, all leather was buffed and
the grain was removed. For this
leather tanners could use cheap
hides that we're covered with i'm
pertections and tick marks and
make fairly good leather. The
situation today, as it has been ex-I
planned, is very different as the
public is demanding more and more
grained feathers for which large
Proportions of Southern hides will
not be available until the tick is
|pradicated.
Tennessee will probably De the
first state to be entirely free from
quarantine for ticks. 1t already
has eradicated the tick in 81 coun-
ties and all that now remain under
quarantine are parts of Marion,
Wayne, Hardeman, McNsiry and
Decatur counties and all of Hardin.
Henderson and Chester counties.
1t is hoped that by September 1st,
these counties will be free from
ticks and the entire State out of
quarantine.
According to the specialists of
the Department of Agriculture, it,
has cost less than so cents per head
to eradicate the tick in Tennessee
and the cattle owners as a result
have gained not less than 81 per
head, thus adding to the value of
their stock. There are some 500, 900
cattle in the counties already free
from ticks and the immediate benefit
to these owners has been not less
than So. 500,00 The cost of tick
eradication has been only $3.50, 600
so that the investment paid for it.
self nearly ID times over in a very
short time. This does not include
the additional profits which come
from the fact that now that the
tick is eradicated more cattle can
be raised on each farm and that
the cultivated fields are made more
productive by the increase Of the
Iamount of fertilizer now available.