The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-07-24
Eradication
of the Tick
Continued from Page 81

not a great many cattle at the tint
it was being worked, but | want t,
tell you that since we have made
Dade, Broward, Monroe and part o.
Palm Beach county free, there ha:
been a development of dairy and bee
cattle herds of considerable import
ance. For the first time in the his.
tory OF those counties they can safe
ly ship in pure bred and high grade
cattle from the northern States.
But what want to particularly
call to your attention is the opportun-
ity you have of helping to make a
wide white belt across the red MAJ
of Florida next year. We are count
ing on Polk county to put on sys-
tematic dipping of cattle early next
season, at the same time with Hills
borough, Osceola and Brevard coun-
ties and divide the tick forces in the
State.
why are we so earnest in our
campaign against the cattle tick? Be-
cause it transmits a disease that kills
large numbers of the cattle and stunts
all that survive. The quarantine was
Ioriginally put on to protect the cattle
industry in the northern States from
ticks carried there by our southern
cattle. That was before we knew
how to eradicate the ticks, but for rs
years we have demonstrated that
ticks can be eradicated, so you peo-
pie will have to accept as a fact the
statement that it can be accomplished
Ill this county, and with your hearty
cooperation the ticks can be cleaned
out by autumn of next year. When
that is done you will not have to con-
tinue dipping your cattle for ticks
and the county expense will stop.
Live stock is the real foundation
for development of this county, which
is primarily an agricultural county.
Live stock builds up the soil, and in
connection with your large trucking
operations will take care of the crop
that follows to the best advantage.
Il want to make it plain to every
person here that we can accomplish
complete eradication of the cattle
ticks under your present open range
conditions just as easily as any other
way, and we want you to continue to
utilize the open range as long as it
is available to you.
But, notwithstanding the fact that
Polk county is a great grazing coun.
try, milk in the cans and butter from
northern States is being shipped in
here in large quantities to feed your
people. The dairymen are not to
blame for the present high price of
milk. The tick is to blame and that
is why the business men should make
1t their business to help the farmers
and cattle owners in this movement
A number of Boards of Trade have
taken responsibility for starting the
machinery for holding the elections
necessary before systematic work can
be taken up in any county.
1T takes organized leadership to
get results and that is where YOUR
business organization can be of very
great benefit to the county at large
by taking the initiative in circulating
petitions calling for an election this
fall, to be held in connection with the
general election, so it will not entail |
any additional expense on the county. |
ut will promote cooperation be-
tween the business men and the men
in the country, and be a great help
Ill around. Getting this county re-
leased from quarantine will be the
greatest asset you possible can OBJ.
ain"