The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-09-07
THE COSTLY
CATTLE TICK

Are you keeping cows to feed the |
ticks or to produce large quantities
of milk?
Eradication of cattle ticks is a pay
ing proposition, according to the YER
dict of farmers who have had ex-
perience.
Some time ago the bureau of ami
nal industry sent out the question,
"What is the probable per cent of
increase in milk production of dairy
cows due to the absence of ticks ?"
to numerous stockmen and farmers
in eleven states where tick eradica-
ton work had made some progress.
More than 1000 replies were re-
ceived, from which the following sum-
mary was made:
"The owners of dairy cows in the
region cleared of ticks are evidently
well satisfied with the results of the
work, since 95 per cent of the re-
plies admit there was an increase,
usually very substantial, in the yield
of milk.
"The lowest estimates are from
Alabama and Georgia, these two
states averaging Is per cent increase
in each, while the highest average,
25 per cent increase, is from North
Carolina, closely followed, however,
by "a per cent each in Mississippi
and Oklahoma. The average for the
eleven states is % per cent, which is
gain of nearly one-fourth in the
total yield.
eft is easy to see what a great adj
vantage this would be if it could be
applied to all of the ticky cows in
the south. The additional milk would
in the aggregate be worth many mil
lions of dollars"
The above report is based on re-
suits from the grade dairy cows which
predominated in those states at that
time.
Increased Milk Production.
Farmers Bulletin No. $50 contains
the following authenticated report
"The experience of dairyman in the
heart of the tick-infested territory
also strikingly illustrates how much
it costs dairymen to have ticks on
their cattle.
Late in the season, when his cows
were covered with ticks, the cattle
were dipped and the ticks killed. One
week after dipping the forty-two cows
in his herd gave ten gallons of milk
more per day than before dipping
At the average wholesale price in
| Florida, of 80 cents a gallon, that
! farmer increased his income So {
! day, or about 800 a month as a re.
suit of tick eradication. His monthly
income would have been increased
more than that amount if he had pre-
vented the cows from becoming tick
infested at all, as they could not in,
crease their milk flow in the same
proportion that ticks had reduced i
before they were killed.
Tick eradication makes possible the
importation of better cattle from
above the quarantine line, especial!
of pure bred bulls, to breed up thu
stock from the cows we now own il
the state.
Florida Averages Lowest.
The last government census give
the average milk production of Flor
ida dairy cows as only 108 gallon
per year, which is the lowest in tn
United States. At that time no ticl
eradication work had been started i
Florida.
The American Jersey Cattle Gu
reports that there are not any Jer
sey cows in Florida entered in an,
of their milk or butter Fat tests TO
register of merit and the Holstein
Friesian Association of America re
ports that they have no representa-
tives of their breed in Florida tryin
for advanced registry.
Tick-infected cows cannot feed tn
cattle ticks and make high mil
yields. There is a great opp
in Florida for the small farmer t
handle a few tick-free dairy COW!
They will consume his forage an
soiling crops which may have littl
market value, on account of sma
quantity and distance to a good mai
, ket, giving him weekly income fro1
milk or cream.
The ideal system for the develop
ment of the dairy industry in Florid
is one that will place a few cows O
{ every suitable, tick-free farm, rattle
/ than many cows on few farms.
} There is more tick eradication wor
being done in Florida this year tina
a total of all previous work. Is tn
, community going to get rid of Il
, | RI faai