The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-12-16
TICK WAR BEING
PUSHED IN SOUTH
MISSISSIPPI TAKING LEAD IN
THIS IMPORTANT AND PRO-
GRESSlVE MOVEMENT.

An area in the South as large as
the German Empire has already been
freed from the cattle tick, but twice
as much still remains to be cleaned
To hasten the work by stimulating
interest in the campaign of eradica-
ton, the department has recently is
sued large illustrated circular, sup
piled on request, which shows in dol
lars and cents the loss the pest
causes every farmer in the infested
territory.
1t costs the South, it is estimated,
$50,000,0 G0 year TO board the tick.
The results as set forth in the new
circular. leave no room for argument.
The tick must go, and go at once if
the South is to enjoy anything like
its legitimate share of prosperity.
The Tick Versus Pure-Bred Stock.
Ticky cattle are worth anywhere
from s. to so a head less than tick
free cattle, but because il is impos
sible to introduce pure-bred stock in
to tick infested territory for the pur-
pose of grading up the herds. the diff
ference between the average value of
cattle in the tick states and in the
ire stats is much
free states is much greater than this
On January /, 1915, for example. the
average price of beef cattle over 2
years old in 10 tickinfested state
North and South Carolina. Georgia
Alabama, Oklahoma, and Texas-was
$3.50. For the remainder of the
country it was $4S47. In Georgia
and Florida the price was only SIS.
in Alabama $40, in Mississippi $22. in
Louisiana $24. With the exception of
Vermont and Tennessee, where the
averages wer $50 and $45. respective
ly. every tick-free state had an aver
age of $40 or more. Eighteen were
over $50 and two over 500.
Tick Quarantine VS.. Free Cattle,
Tick-infested cattle not only weigh
less--and therefore are worth less
than tick-free cattle, but they bring
less per pound. In Alabama and Mis-
slssippi on January / the average
was ST and in no free state was ii
as low as } cents. Ticky cattle must
be handled in quarantine pens and
slaughtered Immediately. They can
not be transshipped to better markets
or sold for feeders In consequence
they receive what the local packing
house cares TO offer, which in prac-
tice is anywhere from half a cent A
pound upward less than the price for
uninfected stock.
Another reason for the lower price
of ucky cattle is the damage to the
hide. The tick lives by sucking the
blood of his victim To do this he
must puncture the hide, and every
puncture sends down the market
price, because such hide cannot be
used for making fine grades of leath.
er. From 90 cents to SIPS is the av.
erage loss in value of tick-bitten
hides.
Mix Yield Reduced.
Dairy cattle suffer no less than beef
stock, for the tick gets the blood that
should go to the making of milk Gov.
eminent tests show that light infesta.
ton OF ticks reduces the milk flow
is per cent: a heavy one as mucb as
~ per cent. In the new circular this
loss is translated into dollars and
cents for a herd of 20 COWS. which
under normal conditions should each
give quarts day With milk at
cents per quart a light infestation
costs the owner of such herd $500
In the course of 200 days milking. A
heavy infestation costs him $500. Tn
county where systematic tick Grad
lcation work is under way he could
dip his herd. free them from ticks.
and save this loss for total expen
diture that would certainly be no
more than $40.
This is not mere theory: it has
Deen proved in actual practice. One
Continued on Page 26.)