Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1915-10-01

shreveport Journal)

More than nine thousand square miles
of territory in the states of Mississippi,
Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina
have been freed from quarantine for cattle
tick, beginning September 18th, accord
ing to bulletin from the United States
department of Agriculture.
The territories freed are those in which
the counties, the state and the depart
ment of agriculture, working in cooperat-
ion, have eradicated the tick which caus-
20 Texas fever by systematic dipping of
cattle in an racenical bath. The territory
just released makes a total territory of
262, 400 square miles freed from the tick
since 1908, when systematic work to yet
rid Of this cattle pest was undertaken. As
the original territory under quarantine
for the cattle tick was 74l,5l5 square
miles, more than one-third of the terri
tory infested, has been cleaned.
Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee
have succeeded in completely wiping out
the cattle. tick. In Tennessee, forty-two
counties were infested. California and
Virginia also are now practically free from
the pest. Figures from other States, how
ever, are not 30 favorable, as is shown by
the fact that in North Carolina but SO
per cent of the infested territory has been
cleaned up. After North Carolina comes
South Carolina with So per cent, Missis-
sippi with AZ per cent, Oklahoma with ~
percent, Arkansas with % per cent, Texas
with % per cent, and Georgia with IS per
cent. Louisiana is next to last, with only
: 4.S per cent, and Florida has not as YET
succeeded in freeing any portion of the
forty-seven counties which were infected
in 1905.
In territory already released there are
about 1850, 900 cattle. To'free these it has
cost about seventy-two cents a head, lit.
tie over half of which has been borne by
the United States government. In return
for this outlay the losses from Texas fever
in this territory have been done away with
altogether, the grade of the cattle mark.
eddy improved, and the value increased
In the tick belt at the present time, it il
said, the value of beef bred cattle at wean.
ing time il $40 to SIC head below the
quarantine line, and the above quaran.
tine line in free territory the value il
$27.5O to $3.50 per head. The losses from
Texas fever are difficult to estimate be.
cause they are sustained largely by own.
ers OF small herds who do not report
deaths from this cause. 1t is no uncom.
mon thing. however, for herds to suffer q
loss from 10 to so per cent Of their mum.
bers and in some countries the total loss
has been estimated by stock owners to be
as high as $3.50, 900 in 1914. This loss, il
must be remembered, is repeated as long
- the tick remains.
1t is probable, however, that in future
the work Of eradication can be done more
cheaply because of the large amount oil
educational work already accomplished.
The actual expense of dipping is very
small. The cement and lumber required
for q dipping vat should cost from $40 to
$50. The labor is usually contributed by
the farmers who are to use the vat. The
owner Of nifty head of cattle can afford to
build his own vat and where the heards
are smaller than this Il is easy to arrange
for q community \. From 90 to l25
Of these are required in an ordinary farm
ing county. TO charge the bath with ar
senic and maintain it through the sum-
mer cost about 3 l-2 cents head.