The Palatka news and advertiser., 1916-09-15
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+ SOUTH CAN BE FREED FROM +
4 TICKS IN FIVE YEARS. =


y
Washington, D. c. Sept. 13.-Be-
cause of the spirit of cooperation
among the people of the South in the
work of eradicating the tick which
transmits Texas fever to cattle, this
destructive and expensive pest should
be eliminated from the territory of the
United States within the next five
wears. according to the Field 1nspec-
tion Division of the Bureau of Animal
Industry of the U. S. Department OF
Agriculture. Enthusiasm in the
fight against the pest is running par
ticularly high in several of the II tick
infested Southern States and these
commonwealth will free their terri
tory within the next year or so, the
division predicts. In 8 of the States,
it is believed, the work will be COM
pleted within years.
An outline of conditions in the tick
infested territory, recently prepared,
shows that Virginia, only 4 counties
in which are now under quarantine,
can be made tick free by one years
active work, and that because of the
interest now being shown there, the
quarantine is likely to be removed
from the last bit of previously tick
infested territory in the State earl Y
in 1918. South Carolina, which is
pushing the eradication work steadily
forward, should achieve freedom from
ticks the same year. By the end Of
1917, it is calculated. there should be
but Is counties in Alabama remain
ing in quarantine, and these, at the
rate the State has been working,
should be cleaned up the following
year.
For Mississippi probably the most
accurate prediction can be made: The
legislature of that State recently en-
acted a law requiring that all coun-
ties now in the ouarantined area shall!
eradicate the tick during 1917. The
people showed their interest in this
step Immediately, and nearly all the
infested counties already have appro-
priated funds for the building of dip
ping watts in preparation for the State
wide eradication campaign. State
wide tick eradication legislation also
has been enacted in Louisiana. AS
a result, this State can expect to be
free Of fever ticks by the end of 1919.
Oklahoma. it is believed, will clear
its territory of fever ticks within the
next three years. In Arkansas, dip
PING watts are in course of construc-
ton in practically every county of the
State and soon will be in general use.
1t is believed that tick eradication
will be completed in this State by the
end of 1920. The same year, it is
predicted. will see North Carolina
cleared of ticks.
Georgia, Florida and Texas have
the hardest task before them in the
work of tick eradication, and proba-
blv will require most of the five-year
period to bring about the removal of
quarantine from their territory. lex
as has more counties quarantined be-
cause Of the presence Of the fever tick
than anv other State, and has almost
as many square miles in the quqaran-
tined area as all the other States COM
bined. 1t is probable, therefore, that
the work of eradication there will take
more time and that unless there is un-
foreseen activity, Texas will be the
last of the States to claim a white
area on the map The finishing. of
the work of eradication in the other
States, however, will release Federal
agents engaged in the work and will
make possible the concentration of ef-
fort in Texas toward the end of the
five-year period 1t is believed, there
fore, that by the close of 1921 this
concerted work, if properly supported
bv local cooperation, will result in tick
eradication from Texas and the free
ing, therefore, of all United States
territory from the pest.
As a result of determination OF the
cattle tick from approximately ZSo,-
900 square miles in the 10 years dur
ing which the U. S. Department OF
Agriculture and the States have been
actively engaged in the work, the cat
tie industry, according to the Bureau
of Animal Industry, in the South has
improved from so to 100 per cent.
Native beef cattle, freed from attacks
of the ticks, have put on more flesh;
native dairy COWS are giving more
milk; and, because danger OF disease
largely has been eliminated, cattle OF
better breeds have been brought in to
improve the native stock. The South
has made greater progress in develop
ing the cattle industry in the last D
years than in the preceding so years,
and there has been more progress in
the industry in the South in that pc
riod than in any other section.
The States and counties, railways
and other corporations, and business
men of the South have been active in
emphasizing the great Importance of
tick eradication and in spreading in
terest and information among farmers
and cattlemen. AS a result of the
operation of all these forces, the work