The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-08-06
HEAVY LOSS ON HIDES
Department of Agriculture Finds
that Tanners Cannot Use Skins
From Tick Infested Districts
for Chrome Leather

Washington, Aug. 6.-According
TO figures gathered by one of the vet
Urinary inspectors of the Bureau of
Of Animal Industry, the presence of
the cattle 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 the ticks as No. quail
ity.
The same hide, if free from the
tick marks, would grade No. 2. The
difference in price in these two grad
es of hides is 8 cents per pound. AS
the hide of the southern steers
weigh about ~ pounds, the pres
Ience Of the tick in the hides causes a
loss in the hide alone more than
S1.26 per hide. Government special
lists point out that the cost of tick
eradication is only about so cents
per head so that if the counties make
a systematic campaign to eradicate
the tick, the increase in the value of
the hide alone would pay for the cost
of tick eradication and leave the
farmer a net profit of about76 cents
per hide.
The hide situation is becoming
rather serious. A prominent tan
ner in Pennsylvania states:
For the class of leather we make
we prefer southern hides for chrome
on account Of the close texture and
fine grade, but on account of the
ticks we have had to practically
stop, purchasing southern hides"
This is particularly significant, as
the demand for chrome leather is in
creasing SO that the normal demand
for southern hides will be still fur
Their decreased.
A large percentage of the chrome
leather now produced is finished
with the grain on so that all imper-|
fections and tick marks on the grain
side show very plainly. In the old
days when all the leather for uppers
was made from bark-tanned stock.
all leather was buffed and the grain
was removed. For this leather tan
ners could use cheap hides that were
covered with imperfections and tick
marks and make fairly good leather.
The situation today, as it has been
explained, is very different, as the
public is demanding more and more
grained feathers for which large pro-
portions of southern hides will not
be available until the tick is eradi-
Gated
Tennessee will probably be the
| first state to be entirely free from
quarantine for ticks. 1t has already
eradicated the tick in 81 counties
and all that now remains under
quarantine are parts of Marion,
Wayne, Hardeman, McNairy and De-
catur counties and all of Hardin.
Henderson and Chester counties. 1t
is hoped that by September 1st, these
counties will be free from the tick
and the entire state out of uuaran-
| tine.
| AS1OAo4A5 ~ Tic 5pGcldIISLS OIL the
| Department of Agriculture, it has
| cost less than so cents per head to
eradicate the tick in Tennessee and
cattle owners as a result have gain
ed not less than 81 per head, thus
adding to the value of their stock.
There are some 100000 cattle in the
counties already free from ticks and
| the Immediate benefit to these own
ers has been not less than $4,000
600. The cost of tick eradication
has been only s250,00O so that the
investment paid for itself nearly Il
times over in 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 in.
crease of the amount of fertilizer
now available