The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-06-03
DIRECTOR LEWIS TELLS OF HIS
ARRANGEMENTS TO FIGHT
THE ENEMY.
STATE CAPITOL NEWS
Review Of The Latest News Gathered
Around the State Capitol That Will
10 Of Interest to Our Readers over
6outh Carolina.
ColurnbfR.

The pesitferous cattle tick, that
eminent bloodsucker and host of the
Texas fever ]protozoan, is being made
to carol it's swan song in many coun-
ties in South Carolina. Under the
direction of the bureau of animal in
dustry of the department of agricul-
ture and of Clemson College 40 men
have taken the field against the pest,
which is the greatest drawback to sue
cessful cattle raising in the infested
area of South Carolina and Of the
other Southern States.
Walter X. Lewis, inspector in
charge Of the cooperative tick eradi-
cation work of the department and Of
Clemson College in South Carolina,
who passed through Columbia recent
ly told of the opening of the cam
paign agains tthe cattle tick in a
large part of the area still infested by
the insect. Working slowly since 1907
on account of lack of funds, Clemson
College eradicated the cattle tick in
IA counties in South Carolina and the
department of agriculture raised the
federal quarantine on cattle shipped
from this territory. When Inspector
Lewis and his field men finish mas
sacreing the tick in the remaining 80
counties of the state, the federal
quarantine will be lifted from these.
The work will take two or three years,
the length of time depending upon
the cooperation the cattle raisers give
the tick eradicators sent out by the
government and the college. Every
cattle raiser in the state knows that
it will mean a tremendous gain for
the industry to free the native cattle
from the facilitating effects Of the
tick and to allow importation of good
stock without danger Of death from
Texas fever, to improve inbred ma
tive herds.
DR.. Lewis started actual field work
April L. He now has 40 men out after
the scalp of the cattle ticks. BY June
1 he expects to have go men in the
field, all trained experts who know
their business. The field force under
DR.. Lewis is now working in Rich
land, Newberry, Fairfield, Chester
field, Kershaw, Marion, Dillon, Char
Florence and Lee counties.
This week he will put tick e%radicators
the job in Sumter and Lancaster
counties. BY July 1 the field force un-
der DR.. Lewis will invade Aiken,
Saluda, Lexington, Orange
burg and Calhoun counties on the
trail of the tick.
. In the remaining counties of the
state, in most of which the open
range laws are effective, DR.. Lewis is
planning with the funds in hand to
make a preliminary survey to find out
the extent of infestation by the tick
and take a census Of the number Of
cattle raisers and the number Of
heads in their herds. The advance
men in the open range counties will
encourage the building Of dipping
watts. DR.. Lewis now has over 100
for the building Of dip
ping watts in open range counties and
is greatly encouraged by this show of
interest on the part Of cattle raisers
in the low country.
Under new regulations effective
May l the department of agriculture
will allow cattle from tick infested
territory to be shipped at all seasons
of the year provided they are dipped
under supervision Of experts. Ac-
cordingly DR.. Lewis has arranged for
the building of a big vat at Register
yards near Columbia, in which all cat
tie will be dipped before they start
on interstate journeys to distant mar
kets from South Carolina ranges. A
demonstration will be given soon at
the interstate vat at Register.
DR.. Lewis has four field men and
a veterinarian at work in Richland
county now.