Mohave County miner., 1917-02-17

These results are too apparent for
even the most prejudiced to ignore.
For one thing the average value of
cattle increases, at once and almost
automatically, to an extent which
makes the cost Of dipping negligible.
As to the exact amount Of this in
crease opinions vary. Recently large
number of farmers in freed areas
were asked to give their opinions on
this point, and the average Of their
replies was 1925 a head. This, how
ever, the federal authorities believe to
be a little high for a conservative es-
innate for the entire south, and they
have fixed on $3.50 as safer figure
for general use. The increase varies,
of course, in different localities, and in
Alabama, for example, it has been
placed at So. On this basis, in %
counties which have already been
freed in that state the cattle are now
worth s5,6OO,OOO more than in the old
days. Since the cost of eradication is
insignificant in comparison, it Is OBJ
vious that dipping watts are an invest
ment which returns liberal dividends.
That these dividends are real, not
theoretical, is indicated by a CORE
spending rise in land values. In one
Mississippi county the local authori-
ties were not at first convinced that
the eradication of the tick actually had
put money into the pockets Of the peo-
pie. An investigation showed that the
coming Of the boil weevil and the con-
sequent falling off in the cotton crop
had greatly depressed farm values.
After the tick had been eliminated, the
increased profits from livestock were
sufficient to restore the price Of land
to its former level.
The farmers of Mississippi have not
been slow to realize the new oppor-
tunity. Fifty-one counties in the
state are now free from ticks, and into
these a large number of pure-bred
animals for breeding purposes have
been brought. Both the grand cham
pion international bull and the grand
champion international junior heifer
are now owned in the state, and one
Mississippi herd has won more prize
money than any other herd Of the
same breed. Not every farmer, Of
course, can go in for stock of this
character, but the improvement in the
general run of cattle is very marked.
As long as the tick remained, little
or no progress was possible because
of the susceptibility Of imported breed
ing stock to the fever conveyed by the
tick.
s Improvement in the quality Of the
herds is also opening up new sources
, of revenue. In Mississippi, for exam
pie, Is creameries are now in opera
ton, and through these the sale of
more than 100000 pounds of butter
have brought the dairymen over $780,
900. Baby beef clubs, too, have been
organized in many of the tick-free
countries. These are having a market
influence upon the beef industry. One
boy said that before he Joined the baby
beef club he did not know what fat
calf was, for his father never had any
such stock.
More profit from better livestock is
prospect that is especially welcome
at a time when the boil weevil has
demonstrated its ability to interfere
seriously with an agriculture based en-
tirely on the proportion of cotton. IN
der any circumstances a single-crop
system is dangerous, but with the boil
weevil it is imperative that there
should be more than one source of in
come. By decreasing the cotton acre
age, but not necessarily the produc-
ton of cotton, it is possible to over
come, through extra care and labor,
the damage done by the weevil, and
in addition more land is available for
the production of food for the family
and feed for livestock. To make the
latter profitable, the tick must be
eliminated,