Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-05-31
AGRICULTURAL ANTS.
Wonderful Mexican Insects That
Till the Soil.
They Plant Fields of Grain and by Their
Industry aud Ingenuity Gain sub
sistence in AN Almost Bar-
Land.

Recently Prof W j McGee, OF the
government scientific corps. paid a visit
TO some very remarkable farmers in
sonora. Mexico These are the 500
called agricultural ants. which plant
fields of grain and regularly harvest
their crops. Upon the latter they de-
pend wholly for food In fact if the
crops shoAd fail they would perish of
famine
The fields Of the farmer ant cover
scores of square miles in sonora. The
home of a colony Is marked ordinarily
10y circular clearing from five 10 thir-
ty-five feet in diameter, on which moth
ing is permitted 20 grow. This serves
as sort of parade and exercise ground
Around the clearing is q ring of luXuri-
ant grass from three. 20 twenty feet
wide. ON the seeds Of this grass the
insects subsist, planting it every spring
and garnering the crop in the autumn.
TurnpilSes few inches wide connect
farm with farm for many furlongs.
In the region described, says the New
! York World. there is practically no
vegetation except the grasses cultivated
/ by these ants The latter appear 20
keep down and eXterminate all other
/ plants. such as cacti, greasewood and
mesquite. In short these insects have
I developed an art of agriculture pccul-
/ lar TO themselves have made conquest
! of the land for their needs, and have
artificialized certain cereals as thor
oughly as maize and barley have been
| artihcialized 10y man.
Thus, said Prof McGee, the rig
orous environment of the desert has de-
veloped one OF the most remarkable in
telligences. and, incidentally an ami
mai and plant have come 70 be mu-
tually dependent upon each other for
! existence
The agriculture of these ants seems
! 10 be far more extensive in Sonora than
in Texas. where their farming opera
! tiOns have been exhaustively described
by Henry C. McCoolx. On the fiat table
lands of the Lone star state their
farms are plentifully scattered. These,
like those of Mexico, are mostly fiat
and circular clearings, from which com
munication is had by roads with the
surrounding cultivated heritage. In
the center of each such clearing Is a
hole which serves as a gateway open
ing into the subterranean formicary.
So widely distributed are the farms
that they are found in the very streets
and gardens Of Austin. Tex.
At the time Of the harvest one or
more of the roads leading 20 the f0rmi-
cary NAV be seen ON any fine day 20 he
thronged with workers marching toaud
fro in double column. one going and
one coming The pathway is trodden
hard by their feet. Those coming are
heavily laden, each carrying seed.
They do not gather the seeds from the
grass tops, but pick up those which
have ripened and fallen. For these they
search on the ground in the forest of
grass stalks. feeling for them with their
antenn9 Having secured one. a work
er ant lifts ii. adjusts the burden 50 as
70 be carried most easily, and finds her
way back to the road. along which she
trots homeward finally disappearing
through the gateway.
Within the gate is a vestibule, from
which a passageway leads downward
at a slant 20 the room beneath. Some
of these rooms are nurseries for the
rearing of the young Of the colony,
while others are granaries in which the
seeds are stored Usually the rooms
are shaped somewhat like horseshoes,
the walls and floors being neatly and
smoothly finished with plaster, for
which suitable earth Is brought from
above and made adhesive with the
saliva of the insects There IS apt 20 be
one grand storeroom two inches or SO
in height and three or four inches long
the other apartments being somewhat
smaller. All of them are formed with
domes.
The seeds before being stored in the
granaries are huskcd. All refuse in
GLIDING husks and imperfect seeds, is
carried out and thrown outside the
limits Of the formicarv. Nothing Is
permitted TO remain On the clearing.
Anything that falls upon il is cut 20
pieces and taken away. If a luckless
tumblebug rolls its ball into the for
hidden territory it is driven away. or if
il refuses 20 retreat il is promptly
killed
The workers possess very formidable
stings, which are used with effect upon
too inquisitive human beings. The
poison seems TO be quite powerful,
causing in ANIMATION and sometimes
nausea. However, the insects are quite
peaceful unless outrageously disturbed
After they have harvested their grain
in the autumn they carefully cut away
all the dry stubble, so that their fields
may be ready for planting in the
spring Respecting the methods of
planting adopted by the insects, no re-
liable observations have been made up
20 date All of the labor of whatever
description is performed by the work
ers, who are undeveloped females. The
males do nothing, the sole purpose of
their existence being 20 perpetuate the
.peciess The developed females are
destined TO become the mothers OF fu.
turc colonies.
These ants always establish their
colonies in places where there is unob-
structed sunlight-doubtless because
shade would interfere with their farm.
ing operations. II a tree grows MP