White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1859-05-19
for tge farnler.
Don,t xiii the Toads.

A friend complains that the ants injufe
his peach trees. One of the greatest an
nihilators Of ants. as well as other insects.
in this country, / conceive, is the toad.
A few of these useful quadrupeds in
garden, are pretty sure guarantee against
the destruction Of plants by ants, bugs,
worms and flies. Where indigenous to
the country. they can be easily collected
and placed in the garden. Not being
very swift on the foot, they do not wan
der far from home, but have q strong at
tachment for the locality in which they
reside, and viii. terrapin-like, sometimes
return to the place from which they are
forcibly driven, unless prevented by some
obstruction which they cannot remove.
The adage says, "There is no telling by
the looks Of toad, how far he can hop"
They arc a very grave and sedate look
ing animal, and if they do not ego forth
at eyentide to melitate," they most GER
tainly choose that time to roam abroad
in quest Of food. For this purpose, they
arc furnished with a slender and flexible
proboscis-liko instrument three or four
inches in length, which they throw from
their mouth with great velocity, snap an
insect, and convey it with inconceivable
rapidity TO the natural receptacle Of food.
This probOscis-like apparatus lies rolled
up in the mouth. and serves them for the
same purpose as that of the elephant; it
is longer and more powerful in proper
ton to the size Of the animal. In SYM
uetry Of form, they may well compare
with the elephant, batting that necessary
appendage to tho beauty Of all quadru-
peds-a tail.
The name of the toad has been too long
a by word and a reproach. They are
one of the most innocent aud useful OF
animals. Vegetables they never injure.
Why, when and how the almost univer-
sal antipathy to toads took its rise, would
be a curious inquiry for the naturalist and
philosopher. 1t will probably be CONGO
ded that the unrivalled English epic poet
contributed his full share to the formation
Of prejudice against them in the minds
of his readers, BY representing the arch
hend as sitting at the ear of our primitive
mother, insinuating the baleful poison of
his seductive toDgne-"squat like toad"
If the toad had not been one of the most
innocent Of animals, it is to be presumed
that the president Lucifer would not, on
that occasion, have assumed its shape.
The toad needs shady arbor with
mellow ground, which can be easily bur-
rowed, where he may retire on the ap-
proGch of daylight, to repose himself,
sheltered from the heat of the MONDAY
sun.
A few years since, l had occasion to
remove bank of earth in my garden,
which had been undisturbed for more
thsn forty years. 1t was filed with an
innumerablc multitude of ants. AS Pc
ter Pindar wished, when the rats destroy
ed one of his deloctable odes, that they
might Gil the maws of cats-so had a
strong desire that the ants might fill the
maws of toads. l procured a few, gave
them possession Of the premises, and the
ants were soon missing.
1t is perhaps worthy of observation
and inquiry whether the tree toad may
not be useful in preventing the ravages
of insects on trees. l have noticed that
apple trees on which these toads make
their home, are seldom infested with cat
erpillars. Goldsmith, in his Animated
Nature. has omitted to notice this species
of the toad family.