ON CATTLE TICK.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXVI, Issue 7567, 10 May 1919, Page 8

ON CATTLE TICK.

- j A southern writer Las the following . to say on the question of cattle tick : — I If the extraordinary anxiety that ap--1 pears to have- suddenly developed in the s I North Island regarding the cattle tick ji is well founded, it shows that the tick j has been allowed to spread until it i threatens to become a serious menace. - There is as yet nothing against tho tick , as a carrier of disease, and if any dis- - ease that the tick would be likely to -! carry can be kept out of the country 1 I there is no great danger in that direcr i tion. But there in no doubt that the i 1 tick will cause more or loss trouble and j - Mime loss unless it can be eradicated. 1 111 j Mir. slur for Agriculture siu:<:-ii>.- -- ist's tho nioju'tar.v lossos as ioHows • — (i) the lowering of condition through I«js3 ol: blood when largo numbers of ticks are harboured by one animal; (b) «Jjo 3 decreased milk-yield of cows harbouring 2 large numbers of tirk.s; (c) ihv deterior- - j ation in tiip value of hides. When large a I numbers of ticks are present the value s of the liido for conversion into leather 1 is reduced. It is stated that a badly , affected ''ticky" hide is worth from 4/- ---\ tn 10/- less than if sound Account must 1? al^p be had of the possible mortality ■? among anijunls harbouring large niim-bsi-s of ticks when they are. already . weakened by various forms of sickness, ;( insufficient food. etr\ This list, however, i floes not include all the possible lossps. iT Jn orcie" to prevent the .spread of the v I tick, it is now admitted by the vetorint j ary section of the Department of Agri- - j culture, it will be necessary to have 1 some drastic regulations to control ?. movements of stock from areas where s the tick is found. This hampering of I \ t!n> free movement of stock will probn- ! bly prove a source-of serious loss to the i ; owners of boih affected ami clean stock. ? ; The extent to which tho tick has infesri ed stock has not been made known, j though there are reports that it jin.s 1 ! spread from the north of Auckland, r ! where it has l<sen known for some ycjirs, 1 I to tlie soi;tl\ even as far as the Manal I watu. Until, however, thero is an ol- > j ficial pronouncement on this point by 1 ; the veterinary aulhoritk'.s tho reports i' ' nce;l not l>o treated very seriously. Then 1 I again it is not known authoritatvely - j whether the tick infests other .stock be- ?> j sides cattle. Hwe again report sivys j j that it is found on otliei- animals, in- % I eluding domestic and wild birJ.s. Tf 1 I that is so the eradication-of the tick is * I gonig to be as d iff cult. a. problem as '.he i ' eradication of the ra.l>bit pest. It would 1 seem that the. poopli> who have had most !| acquaintance with the tick upon their \ i cattle havo not vioAved the matter very , j seriously, or we should have licnnl more = • ol>out t before now. In one sense tin.-* * i niav he a good thing, as it indicates ; j that thy tick has not done much harm ; ' 1 on t-he oiliei hand such an attitude, it j 1 it, become general }imon<i stock owners, j . would tend to nullify any efforts made Ito eradicate the pest. It is the polie.v .i of indiffernnco to pests sucl> us rabbits 1 I and small birds tliat mak- the problem r• of their craOioation or even 7-etlucUon - : F'!fh a. difficult <nic. The tick question ; is ->trues Tit boin<j; actively stirred up. i and it is a matter in "which all parts of i tho l")o!vinion are more or less interost- ■■'.'<]. .-is tl"> sutr^pstion as sjlroady been 1 : n-,i(]<- il,;it fi^re .«1io"''l Uo an "inhartTO > i '-non tlin <.-,]<immenl of '-ittle from the- ! N'ertli to the South -Island. Sucii n ■ sten nnti'ht lie necessary if the tick is > ; jini. j./Mii; i-nHor nronpi* control, ainl . tlifivfer» there. shonVl be no half rnrjn- ! ! puvos ir thi- s+--mis t:iken '-v tl»« T)enaT-«-- ---' ment nf Afrifuliuve. The first thin^ ; t<> I>e done is to obtain a rwort fro:-i ' fli O Toteri'vivy oPfif(>rs ns to tlv> locoli- ; •i ties in Avhich' tlv tick is foun'l. wbjit [annnfil--- -ire fiffpcte'l. anri iviiotTi^r it is ■ v fact that tit* tick is spreading.