The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-03-26


els OF Florida, held at Gainesville on
March IA, one OF the main topics of
discussion was the cattle tick. On
this subject, DR.. j. V. Knapp, state
veterinarian, of Tallahassee delivered
the following address,:
1T is hardly necessary for me TO as
sure you that / have no intention of
attempting 20 inflict upon you any
thing like an old time address on the
question Of Tick Eradication IT.
ties in programs must be short and,
therefore, as in the present case, usu-
ally include very much more than the
speaker intends to deal with.
This paper is dedicated to the con-
servation of the animal wealth of
Florida, and certain data is herewith
presented to the gentlemen here as
sembled concerning the cattle industry
OF Florida; which, so far as the speak
er is aware, has not heretofore been
thoroughly understood nor accepted by
the free range cattlemen OF Florida
as the real and only cause of the pres
ent improbable condition OF his bust
ness. This causative agent or factor
is the cattle fever tick and the respon-
slblity of present day conditions rests
on the shoulders OF the man who
knowingly and willingly harbors ticks
on his cattle.
THE elimination of the cattle fever
tick from the cattle and ranges in the
state OF Florida embodies in substance,
IL not in words, the subject assigned to
me by the program committee of this
association, and | make the following
statement without fear of successful
contradiction "That tick eradication
is the one main issue before the Flor
ida cattlemen today"
Tick eradication. although a COM
paratively new and untried principle of
cattle development In Florida, is not
new or in the experimental stage OF
progress in any other tick infested
state of the union.
"Tick eradication is substantially as
old as the desire on the part of the
cattle raisers to protect their interests
and to improve their cattle, having its
origin in the early fifties. which at
that time constituted county and state
quarantine restrictions. maintained
and enforced ny range cattlemen of the
western. plains. In 1884 Congress, at
the request OF cattlemen, established
what has been termed Texas Fever
Quarantine Line" This quarantine
embraced all the territory in the Uni
ted States which the cattle fever tick
was found to inhabit, and extended
from a point in Virginia on the Allan
tic ocean to a point in California on
the Pacific.
Again, in 1906, congress answered
the call OF the people and provided
funds with which to cooperate with
the various states and actively carry
on systematic tick eradication work.
Federal cooperation and funds have
been continued ever since and the
work OF eradicating the tick has pro-
gressed in a southerly direction, coun-
~ by county, until they are now OPP
Grating on our northern boundary. In
1905 tho federal government sent its
agencies into Florida to cooperate
with this state, and in due time sys-
temstio tick eradication was under
taken and established under existing
state laws in various counties. This
service rendered on the part OF the
government was in every instance
frustrated by tho efforts of the cattle
mon, and the results of tick eradication
in these several counties would un-
questionably indicate that the cattle
men of Florida do not want tick eradi-
cation.
THE main outstanding result OF the
federal governments venture in Flor
ida is that the government has with
drawn her forces and her aid and left
Florida in the same position she was
in 1915. This statement on my part
may be contradicted by some present
on the basis OF the fact that in 1916
they could ship, apparently without re
striction, ticky or dipped cattle to al
most any market in this country. In
this connection / do not contend that
the movement OF cattle is not now
more restricted than 1t was in 1915,
but | do contend that, in so far as
federal quarantine regulations apply,
the situation is exactly as it was in
1915; however, in this short space OF
seven years tick eradication work has
made great strides in all other quaran-
tined states, with the result that those
states have passed laws prohibiting
the movement TO, into or through said
states, except such cattle as originate
in released counties, or counties in
which systematic tick eradication is
In progress. Further, in this connec-
tion, there is not market today that
Is open for the receipt of Southern or
Dipped Ticky Cattle" with the excep-
tion of Fort Worth. Texas, which mar
ket is open only until April LIST, and
for the receipt Of cattle from the
drought section OF southwest Texas
only.
Let US pause for the moment in the |
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