CATTLE TICK.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 185, 4 August 1923, Page 9

CATTLE TICK.

DEPARTMENT'S ACTIVITIES. AGRICULTURAL DIRECTOR'S ADDRESS. TV. C. .T. Reakes. Director of Agriculture, in tlie course of a brief address at the X'ew Zealand Farmers' Conference, stated tliat the tick question had been occupying a good deal of attention. Their study had been one of the closest in the world for a number of years, and had provided some very valuable in-1 formation. The tick had three distinct I stapes, the larva stape. in which it had | to get upon an animal; a stage on the; ground, and another on an animal, dur-l injr which it gorged itself with bjood, I (hopped n<T. komwM shelter, and laid its j eggs. The period at which the ticks j were, at full growth was about mid-sum-i mcr. in December and January, and I every 'tick killed during that period j meant so many fewer. That beinjr so, j they hart decided to amend their regula-j tions ooneerninK the pest, and were i putting the catth- farmer into the same iiosition as the man who bad rabbits on liis land. It would be the duty of the farmer in the infected area to keep his cattle ac free as possible by dipping or spraying, and the compulsory three-weekly dipping would not continue. The Department, however, would continue to administer j the regulations stringently as far as the j movement of cattle from one area to ■ another and other precautionary mrasuras were concerned. It would also continue its efforts to lessen the errip of , the- pest. TREMENDOUS MORTALITY. Tn their struggle for existence ticks would attach themselves to any animal , which came alon<r. They had been ! found upon hares, birds, and beads and! letrs of sheep. It seemed evident that ] there must he tremendous mortality j among ticks during tl.cir third period, j While they were oil the ground starlings I and other birds killed a. great many of ' them, and this accounted for the 'fact that they had not spread so far as it was i thought they would in the north. Questioned by Mr. H. I). Duxfield (Auckland], Dr. Rcakes stated that the] question of the erection of further dips! would depend very largely on their ex-1 perience. this season. The question! of border dips was a most important one, ] and one iviiu-h llw ■ i-mn i. ,eul ivuui.i have to go into straight away. Mr. A. K. Harding (Mangawhare) im,'r<l: "That tin , ci lomii'c im»p tnej (iovcrninpiit tn continue a vigorous policy to prevent the spread of ticks to clean areas, and. il p"»-i <• • ri'ftlilatinns more drastic in this respect." Mr. J. (lartun (Mangonui) seconded, and tlio resolution was carried unanimously.