BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 April 1919, Page 5

BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.

THE TICK MENACE. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. At a meeting of the Board of Agriculture, the question of ticks infesting cattle in New Zealand was discussed as the result of a communication from the Masterton Farmers' Union. Dr. Reakes gave the board a full account of the nature of the habits of ticks and of the possible extent of their causing loss to the Dominion stockowners. The department had, he stated, carried out a thorough and exact investigation and experimental work, both practical and on scientific lines, and had verified its conclusions as to the identity of ticks by submitting specimens of them to first-class authorities in Great Britain. It was realised that, as ticks act as conveyors of tick fever, and are not in themselves capable of setting up this disease, the presence of these parasites in England does not constitute an immediate menace in the form of causing or spreading tick fever (which has never gained entrance to New Zealand) or any other serious disease of cattle. At the same time, apart from this serious disease they can, if they become numerous enough, cause depreciation in the value of stock, and, moreover, afford a inedium for spreading it. The board, therefore, resolved that regulations were required to apply to the North Island. to make tick infestation of cattle notifiable, and to compel the cleansing of infested cattle from parasites and the prevention of their spread to other districts through the medium of travelling stock. A lengthy report from the Dunedin Crown Lands ranger on a proposal of the Otago Farmers' Union that oppossums might be liberated in some of the forests of the Great Alpine Range was carefully considered. It was finally agreed that this might prove a considerable source of Tevenue to the country, as black skins were said to be worth £1 each, if black or brown ones were introduced and if every care were taken to prevent their introduction into districts where they might become a menace to the fruit-growing industry.