CATTLE TICK.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 June 1921, Page 5

CATTLE TICK.

DANGER TO TARANAKI. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Stratford, June 14. Mr. J. B. Richards (Stratford) is in receipt of the following letter from Mr. W. M. Bayly, secretary to the New Zealand Farmers’ Union (Poverty Bay district): — From a paper clipping, I notice that you brought up this important question at the Taranaki Progress League meeting. This union has been fighting this pest for the past Eighteen months, and urged the Government to take action against its spread. It is rapidly spreading, and will prove a very serious menace to the farmers. They do not want their troubles increased, being heavy enough now, especially at the present time. We have a very large collection of exhibits in the office of the actual cattle ticks from America, Africa, Queensland, and New Zealand; besides photographs and leather damaged by the tick. These are most interesting and instructive, anil convey a much better idea of the damage the tick does than all the printed matter. At your meeting your chairman suggested that the tick could not live in the Taranaki climate. Let me urge that you take no risks. It will live, and thrive, ajid thrive well, if you allow it. “Prevention is better than cure.” Under separate cover I forward you the loan of four photographs, which it is hoped will be of interest. If you have a Farmers’ Union branch in Stratford loan the photographs to them for exhibition, as they may be instructive. Should the Farmers’ Union branch or your league require any. further information, I will be most pleased to assist. United action is imperative to cheek this dread pest. A few facts: One thousand ticks extract eight pints of blood from the host during the season. Cattle tick attack not only cattle, but horses, dogs, human beings, and birds, and I have photographs of these. Female ticks lay from 3000 to 5000 eggs .in the season. Female ticks have been frozen for 24 hours and then germinated.