CATTLE TICK.

Northern Advocate, 9 February 1920, Page 2

CATTLE TICK.

A letter published elsewhere in our columns to-day from Messrs William Cooper and Nephews regarding the cattle tick and comment upon the correspondence by Dr. Reakes, of the Agricultural Department are worth the careful attention of farmers, not only in the North, but throughout New Zea- j land. The indications certainly are that the tick trouble is not decreasing in the North and it would certainly be wise for stock owners to give every possible assistance towards the work of extermination. The scientific investigation of the problem appears to leave it quite open as it whether the ticks known here are disease carriers or not, but it is clearly indicated that time may bring this to pass. The "N.Z. Farmer", which specialises in all agricultural matters, holds this opinion and in commenting on the matter says: "Fortunately no serious cattle disease was introduced when the ticks gained an entrance, said to bo in saddlery brought back from the South African war. If it should unfortunately happen that contagious disease, such as tick-fever, be introduced, the presence of ticks, the natural hosts, will spread tho disease rapidly throughout the country whore the ticks exist. It shoula be the common policy of farmers to right the tick J relentlessly. The only effective way is to dip grazing stock, and spray the quieter dairy stock. It has been stated that spraying dairy stock is a dangerous procedure. This is quite wrong. The spray material, of which arsenic is Ihe active agent, may slightly scald the udders and teats, but that is all. This can be overcome by rubbing a little vaseline or fat on these parts. Experiments have proved that failure to spray against ticks has reduced the milk yield by fully fifty per cent. Unliko dipping sheep against ticks, which need be done only once a year, i< is necessary to dip or spray for cattle tick every fow weeks in the warmer months of tho year. And the treatment must be applied at just the right stages—when the ticks commence to breed, Ihe time from birth to breeding stage being only nbout three weeks. Farmers having cattle on'lheir properties should regard eradication of ticks as their most vital concern. The longer it is delayed the greater will be the menace."