St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1894-08-04
THE YUCCA MOTH.



Revelntion. @
Perhaps the most complete study Of
the yucca moth ever made is that of Z
st. Louis botanist. whose work is valu-
able for many purposes besides those
of technical botany.
The special value Of the yucca moth
Is as an illustration of the correlation
between the lives of animals and Of
plants. The yucca and the yucca moth
have become associated together in such
a way that they are necessary to each
other. The plant supports the moth
and enables it to reproduce its species.
while the moth fertilizes the plant and
assists it in perfecting its seed. SO
close has this relation become that
when the yucca is cultivated where the
moth does not exist, the plant is no
longer fertile.
1t was generally supposed a few gen.
erations ago that plants exist wholly
for the use of animals. especially Of
man. Their scent and color when in
flower were supposed to be destined
wholly to crafty the senses of man as
the lord of creation" Even now
there are some who think humanity
will be degraded unless this theory is
maintained. but. in spite of them. it
will soon be abandoned by all educated
people. as it virtually is already.
1t is now accepted as fully estab-
lished that men in their relation to
plant life are governed by the same
law which governs the relations of the
yucca moth to the yucca. They use
plants in their development and are
used by plants. If in process of time
the material part Of them is converted
into a compost for nettles. it is not
merely because the nettles are in some
way useful to men who survive. but be-
cause both men and nettles have their
appointed work to do in carrying on
the development of world which is
slowly improving from what was once
its inorganic state of lifeless lava into
a habitation for the highest forms of
life.
The sermon preached by the yucca
moth is full of sublimer revelation
than men can yet understand. but they
can learn from it that what may seem
to them harmful may be of the highest
usefulness, and that what they have
looked on as created only for their
pleasure has manifold uses higher than
that Of pleasing them. 1t may
fiatter pride to think that the
spotless purity of the lily is
merely for the qualification of the
human eye. and that its scent has
its highest usefulness in pleasing hu-
man nostrils. but it is better worth
while to know if it be true that the
lily hears closer relation to what we
often think of as rcpulsive and harmful
worms. than it does to men. 1t may
no. he pleasant to think this. but MOTH
ing is better than the truth if it be
true that the primary design of the
shining white and scent of the lily is to
attract the night-dying moths which
breed these repulsive worms.
We are constantly devising new meth
DDS to exterminatc such worms. but
the lesson of the yucca moth is that if
we could succeed. we would extermi-
nate the lilies in doing so.
The vet higher revelation Of this
gospel is that whether the yucca moth
knows it or not. whether men know it
or not. the world has a purpose for the
accomplishment of which everything
in it. from the infinitely little of the
smallest animalcule to the infinitely
great of the sublimest human thought
that aspires to comprehend the uni
verse. works from age to age through
all the cycles Of eternity.-St. Louis
Republic.