Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-06-19
The PrO-PrusSian Tick.

The cattle tick, observes the Savannah Morn
ing News, is a faithful ally of the Kaiser. land
works for enemies by keeping down the sup
ply of three of most important foods-beef
milk and butter" .....'
To eradicate this minute but mighty accom-
plice of the Hohenzollern is of the peculiarly
urgent duties of Georgia and neighboring States
both a matter of efficiency for war service and
of prosperity in their affairs By every natural
circumstance the South is ideal country for cat
tie raising. It's mild climate and abundance of
pasturage reduce to a minimum the cost of hous-
ing and feeding the stock. Authorities say, in
deed that with the exception of certain districts
of the far West this is the only section of the
United States in which beef can be produced
cheaply. But for long years there have been two
serious obstacles to the free development of cattle
industries in the South-the absence of markets,
and the presence of ticks.
The solution Of the market problem is in sight.
In fact, field of Southern enterprise is develop
ing more surely more swiftly than the packing
house industries. together with those on which
they depend and to which they give rise. Within
the past twelvemonth something like score of
such industries representing an aggregate invest
ment of millions of dollars have been established
or responsibly projected in Georgia and the South
east At the same time earnest and broadly sue
cessful efforts have made to organize market
farmers well the largest live stock interests.
AS result, there is ready and profitable outlet
in almost every county for all the cattle and hogs
that are raised.
In the eradication of the tick a great deal re-
mains to be done, though in this field also n
couraging progress has been made Ten years ago
upwards of seven hundred and twenty-eght thou
sand square miles of territory were under quaran-
tine because of tick infection At the beginning
Of the present year, approximately half of that
tick-free. Commenting on the campaign
by which this accomplished and the attendant
results, the national Department of Agriculture
says:
Native beef CATTLE freed from attacks of
the ticks, have put more flesh; native
dairy giving more milk and be-
cause danger of disease largely has been elm
mated cattle of better breeds have been
brought into improve the native stock. The
South has made greater progress In develop
ing the cattle industry in the last five years
than in the preceding fifty years, and there
has been more progress in the industry in the
South in that period 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 i'm
portance of tick eradication and in spreading
interest and information among farmers and
cattlemen. AS result Of the operation of all
these forces the work OF tick eradication
practically has been half completed"
We cannot afford to pause, however until this
highly important task is wholly completed. AS
the Savannah Morning News aptly puts it, the
cattle tick works for Prussian enemies by
keeping down supply of beef, milk and butter
three great stapes-at a time when national
as we'll as individual interests demand the largest
possible output of all foods Southern farmers
and business should cooperate with
other and with the State and Federal authorities
more earnestly than to free the section of
this last drawback to fits live stock interests.