The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1917-02-17
ro CUT TICK ARMY IN HALF
Free Territory Object Lesson in Bene'
fits of Eradication.

fits of Eradication.
The army Of cattle ticks is to be cut
in half this year and wedge OF tlck-
free territory driven through the m
Tasted area to the Gulf of Mexico.
Nv the end of 1917 it is expected the
entire state of Mississippi will be re-
leased from quarantine and broad
highroad opened for the unrestricted
shinment Of cattle to outside markets.
The effect of this upon the whole
cao,naien for the total elimination OF
the pest throughout the south IS ex-
pected to be great. In order 10 Sc
cure for the newly-freed count1es 1lie
fnll benefits of eradication, 1t has al
wavs been the policy to plan, as lar
az POSSIBLE, the releases from quaraE-
tine so that cattle may be brought. IN
and out without passing through tlcky
country. The new Mississippi law,
however, recurring al tick-lnfested
counties to begin eradication work,
enables this policy to be carried OUT
on larger scale than ever pelo.e
Not only will the tick cease TO eAise
for the people of Mississippi, put tue
results that invariably follow IT'S als-
annearance will prove stimulating
object lesson for neighborlng areas
that may still be infested
These results are too apparent Tor
even the most prejudiced to ignore:
For one thing the average value o.
cattle increases, at once ana Almost
automatically, to an extent Wnich
makes the cost of dipping negLiglole'
As to the exact amount OF tLls III
crease opinions vary. keeehCly q
large number of famers IN 1feeo
| areas were asked to give their oplhc
ions on this point, and the average OF
their replies was 1926 head. Thls,
however, the federal authorities be-
lieve to be little high for a conser-
| vative estimate for the entire south,
and they have fixed IN S7.5O as a
safer figure for general use. The IN
crease varies, Of course, In dlferen1
localities. and in Alabama, for ex-
ample, it has been placed at S8. On
this basis, in the twenty-eight counties
which have already been freed IN
that state, the cattle are now worm
s5.6OO,0OO more than in the old days
Since the cost of eradication is IN
| significant in comparison, 1T IS ob-
yious that dipping watts are an invest
ment which returns liberal dividends:
That these dividends are real, not
theoretical, is indicated by corre-
snonding rise in land values. In one
Mississippi county the local authorl.
ties were not at first convinced tha1
/ the eradication Of the tick actually
| had put money into the pockets OF
/ the people. An investigation showed
| that the coming of the boil weevil anc
the consequent falling off in the cot.
ton crop had greatly depressed farm
values. After the tick had beer
eliminated, the increased profits from
| live stock were sufficient to restore
the price Of land to its former level
| The farmers Of Mississippi have no
been slow to realize the new oppor
tunity. Fifty-one counties IN tn
state are now free from ticks, and IN
to these large number Of pure-bret
animals for breeding purposes havt
, been brought. Both the grand cham
pion international bull and the gran'
champion international junior helfe
are owned in the state, and one MIS-
sissippi herd has won more prlz
money than any other herd OF tn
same breed. Not every farmer, %
: course, can 20 III for stock Of tn
character, but the Improvement ]
the general run of cattle is very mari
ed. AS long as the tick remained, u
tie or no progress was possible be
cause of the susceptibility of impor
ed breeding stock to the fever cor
) veyed by the tick.
improvement in the quality of tn
:, herds is also opening up new source
OF revenue. In Mississippi, for e.
> ample, fifteen creameries are now
operation and through these. the sal
Of more than 100000 pounds
butter have brought the dairyme
n over 100000. Baby beef clubs, to
7 have been organized in many OF II
:. tick-free counties. These are havir
= a marked influence upon the beef il
dustry. One boy said that before I
- Joined the baby beef club he did NJ
know what fat calf was, for n
father never had any such stock.
More profit from better live stoe
is a prospect that is especially we
come at a time when the boil Weev
has demonstrated it's ability to inte
fere seriously with an agricultu1
based entirely on the production
cotton. Under any circumstances
!, singIe-crop system is dangerous, b.
Il with the boil weevil it is imperatr
that there should be more than OF
| source Of income. By decreasing Il
/ cotton acreage, but not necessarl
| the production Of cotton, it is poss
| BILE to overcome, through extra ca
| and labor, the damage done by II
/ weeviI, and in addition more land
available for the production Of fo'
/ for the family and feed for live stoc
| To make the latter profitable, the til
/ must be eliminated. Since the be
weeva insists on coming in, the farr
/ err, in self-protection, is insisting
| the tick going out.
~