Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1896-12-04
Hoods Pills and liver stlnalan,. IS
AGRICULTURAL ANTS.
Wonderful Mexican Insects That
Till the Soil.
They Plant Fields OF Grain and by Theft
Industry aus Ingenuity Gain Sub
sistenoe In an Almost Bar
rem Land.

Recently Prof w. ]. MCGEE, Of the
government scientific corps, paid visit
to some very remarkable farmers in
Sonora, Mexico. These IRE the so.
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 should fail they would perish OF |
famine.
The fields of the farmer ant cover |
scores of square miles in Sonora. The
home of n colony is marked ordinarily |
by circular clearing from Ave to thir-
ty-fivc feet in diameter, on which moth.
ing is permitted to grow. This serves
~ sort of parade and exercise ground.
Around the clearing is q ring of luxuri-
ant grass from three to twenty feet
wide. On the seeds of this grass the
insects subsist, planting it every spring
and garnering the crop in the autumn.
Turnpilscs 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 to
keep down and cxterininate all other
plants, such as cacti, greasewood and
mesquite In short. these insects have
developed an art of agriculture pecul-
| lar to themselves, have made conquest
Of the land for their needs, and have
artificialized certain cereals as thor
vughly as maize and barley have been
artificialized by man.
"Thus," said Prof. MCGEE, "the rig
orous environment of the desert has de-
veloped one of the most remarkable IN
tclligcnces, and, incidentally, an ami
NAL and plant have come to 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. McCook. On the fat table,
lands Of the Lone Star state their
farms are plentifully scattered. These,
like those of Mexico, are mostly fiat
and circular clcarings, from which COM
munication is had by roads with the
surrounding cultivated heritage. In
the center Of each such clearing is q
hole which serves as q 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 OF
r more of the roads leading to the formi
I cary may be seen on any fine day to bt
thronpcd with workers marching toand
0 fro in q double column, one going and
), one coming. The pathway is troddeE
e hard by their feet. Those coming Srs
r heavily laden, each carrying q seed
}. They do not gather the seeds from tn
4 grass tops, but pick up those whlcf
g Rave ripcncd and fallen. For these the.
n search on the ground in the forest o
l. grass stalks, feeling for them with thei
y antennn. Having secured one, q work
d or ant lifts il, adjusts the burden so q
IS to be carried most easily, and finds he
& way back to the road, along which sh
le trots homeward, finally disappearin
through the gateway.
If Within the gate is a vestibule, fror
x which n passageway leads downwar
r at a slant to the room beneath. Som
Of of these rooms arc nurseries Tor Tn
,e rearing of the young of the colon.
ID while others are granaries in which tt
seeds are stored Usually the room
ID are shaped somewhat like horseshoe
n. the walls and floors being neatly AZ
t. smoothly 6nisaped with plaster, Il
Of which suitable earth is brought fro
e, above and made adhesive with II
wv saliva of the insects. There is apt to
mt one grand storeroom two inches or
ur In height and three or four inches Ion
the other apartments being somewh
nj smaller. All Of them are formed wi
ol- 3omes.
al The seeds before being stored in I
ill vranaries are husked. All refuse,
al Guiding husks and imperfect seeds.
M carried out and thrown outside 7
he limits of the formicary. Nothing
of permitted to remain on the cleariI
Anything that falls upon 1t is cut
ib- pieces and taken away. II iucki'
raj tumblcbug rolls it's ball into the 4
,n- hidden territory it Is driven away, OF
cal | it refuses to retreat 1t Is Promp
of killed
H." The workers possess very formida
ice stinRs, which are used with e1Kect ur
of too inquisitivc human beings. ]
ing poison seems tn be quite power'
he causing Inflammation and sometir
nausea. However, the insects are gu
,ol- peaceful ~nless outrageouslyt isfurb
ps, After they have harvested their gr
,ra- in the autumn they carefully curt ~
. all the dry stubble, so that their hf
may be ready for planting IN
tner. spring. Respecting the methods
,der- planting adopted by the insects, nc
mi, liable observations have been made
Mr.. TO date. All of the labor OF whatt
c Gno description is performed by the w
ID as. ers. who are undeveloped females.
-, males do nothing, the solo purpos
their existence being to perpetuatc
~ snecies. The Developed females
- destined to become the mothers Oh
lip. ture colonies
timer. These ants always establish t
Wood ,.- l.. ,.,acee where there is III
ed by COLONIES =" P' .A.I.ss loo
III acr structed sunl1gnt-uoupueSs ".
ed by shade would interfere with their Il
iabiii. ing operations. If tree grows
near them they will cut of c
~ one of its leaves in carly spring.
~ ~ a-a.lu in the cool of the day.