The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1915-07-08
Tieky Cattle Bring Low Prices.

al eight months fight, the foot
and-m0nth disease has been pracji-
cally stamped out and the danger Of
another great destructive animal
plague averted. For this the couD-
try has reason to be thankful, fer
American live stock already suffers
from a disease t O extent
which few persons are fully aware.
Hog cholera, tuberculosis, and the
cattle tick cause an animal loss to
the country which reaches 50 high
into the millions Of dollars that it is
almost impossible even FOR train
ed statlsticians to estimate it. The
direct loss in deaths can be comput-
ed with reasonable accuracy but the
indirect losses which agriculture i'll
all Of its branches suffer wheneve"
and wherever there is scarcity Of
stock cannot be reckoned at all.
Hog cholera and tuberculosis pre-
vail throughout the country; cattle
ticks are confined to the section
the South. Hog cholera and tuberuc-
osis present problems which science
has not yet thoroughly solved; cattle
ticks already have been eliminated
in an area Of more than 253,
288 square miles and can be eliroi-
mated il The rest of the infested ter
ritcry whenever the people really
determine to rid themselves Of the
pest.
It is no secret that the amount OF
live stock in the country by no
means has kept pace " : h i {
growth Of population. For many
years it actually decreased, and al.
though the official figures Tor IAN
uary / 1915, show slight increase
over the corresponding ones fo1
1914, this increase is far from pro
portionate to that in population
The price Of meat has risen steadily
and the future Of the country's sup
} ply has become q matter OF gray;
concern.
Greater production OF live stocl
uDo1 the farms undoubtedly Woult
go far toward solving the problem
This is especially true OF the South
Ia an estimate quoted recently b3
the Secretary OF Agriculture, it wa
stated that the average farm hom
il Georgia produced less than one
twelfth Of q beef in the course Ct
year Tor each person on It, instea'
;, of prod ucing beef . sell 10 the res
Of the country, the South import
much OF what i consumes.
For this condition. of affairs spec
s?ists hold two things responsible
!. cotton ard ticks The danger j
one-crop system Of agriculture ia
! now been made apparent and thel
are MANY farmers who ,yon.c g!adj
abandon t II sorne substitute We:
avaiiable. Bat IN any sound sy
is TEN Of agriculture live stock IS i
tiispensa.ie, :ild willie the catt
!e tick flourishe5 the production {
cattle is not an inviting nrospec
e The grower IN a ticiz-infeSted cou,
10 tiy Iabor5 under 8 crushing ian'
,licap. Ills catt,e ign .ess Il
IS bring less .,ar pound than those {
.a bis competitor IL ;lcE5-f.eo sections
II A!a1ayo.; and Mississippi, +
7e example, the average price i
beet on the hoof was, on January
y, 1915, Only Tea pound. II Connec;
or cut. It uas 81 and 10 no tlck-frs
State was it as as low IS Sc. Il
rs average price q baef cattle ov
two years Old was $50 in Aabar
ee and $22 in Mississippi. It was S
IN Wyoming and $50 IN Montan
as Vermcnt, with an average of S:
was the only tick-free State
re which the price was below $40.
re. North Carolina, South Carolir
> s.s. ia. l.u:! :.