The weekly sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1886-05-06
HABITS OF PLANTS AND INSECTS.

HABITS OF PLANTS AND INSECTS.
Some Of Their notwithstanding sn
New Habits Curious Cases.
We are accustomed to think of the
habits Of plants and animals as fixed, the
same to-day as they were 100 or /, 0Oe
years ago, and to remain the same for
an Indefinite future. Such supposition
is incorrect, and can not be held by those
familiar with the life histories Of plants
and animals. 1t is a common occurrence
for animals and plants to TAX. ~ new
habits change usually ca,.-s-A by a
change m the surroundings. Ia the case
of animals, it is often brought ->bou1 by
new food being presented, On which
they obtain more eongenial subsistence.
The common notion that nature provides
for animals the food most eonssnial TO
then, finds hero . strong refutation.
Every farmsr1 boy has observed that
birds and rodents forsake their natural
food for more congenial fruit or grain.
They may also have noticed the Same
with insee4A
Ono Of the most marked Instances Of
an insect thriving and rapidly multiply
ing on new food, Is that Of the potato
beetle; confined to the Wild solanums Of
Colorado, the potato beetle increased
slowly and was scarcely known, even to
sntomologists.- The insect was found
years ago by DIR. Say, who made jour-
ney across the Rocky mountains, and for
many years it was considered one of the
rarest Of our insects. When the cult
waited solanum (the potato) reached Col
orado, the obscure beetle found moro
congenial food, and it multiplied amaz-
mgly. An instance nearer home is that
of the apple maggot, which m many
parts Of the eastern states attacks the
apple in mach the same manner as the
better known apple worm or codling
moth. This insect has long been known
as living on the wild thorn apples, but
about twenty years ago it suddenly at
tackled the cultivated apples on Yer
mont farm. 1t spread rapidly, and is
now widely distributed. 1t is probable
that the insect had never known the
Of the cultivated apple as an
article of food, until by chance some in
dividual strayed to the orchard. From
that time new habit was taken on.
Another instance is that of the dreaded
buffalo grub" which attacks carpets
LA Il1G CcioUc1h oGdUSS LII EuIOpt w AcuC0
this insect was introduced, it was never
known to attack carpets. l. this case
we can not determine just why the insect
has taken on its new habit, for carpets
are probably no better articles of food
than clothes and leather, on which the
insect feeds in Europe. There are per-
haps peculiar surroundings or parasites
which prevent it from attacking carpets
IN its native home, or when the first
reached this country carpet
may have been the first available food
and the insect continued on
It's new diet.
Plants often take on new habits when
hey are transported to foreign countries,
or disturbed by cultivation. The common
snowy wild touch-me-not, introduced
nto England, produces only hidden or
flowers. An insignificant
md harmless plant, which grows in our
litches and ponds, was introduced into
england about forty years ago, and at
,nce became great nuisance. 1t soon
pread SO rapidly as completely to
,bstruct waterways, and expensive
Methods had to be employed to keep it in
heck. This plant is the common ditch
moss or Anacharis. Some of our native
,lants, instead of being exterminated or
lriven into copses and fence-rows by
have become aggressive
weeds. A notable instance of this kind
S the horse-nettle, of the central and
outhern states. This has become a
erious pest. The slender-leaved
1ilenium Of the southwestern states is
low following Texan cattle northeast
ward, and has become established in
ONE Of the northern states 1t is not
known that the Canada thistle
vas introduced into this country from
Europe. 1t appears to be wild in
orthern states Canada, and it may have
AIKEN on a vagrant habit when disturbed
y cultivation.-L. II. Bailey in Country