The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-05-28
WILL PREY ON BOIL WEEVIL An Ant Discovered in
 Guatemala. TO BE AT ONCE IMPORTED Hoped That the Insect Will Become Acclimated. Secretary Wilson Has . Special nsi- ietla Printed on the sub5ect--Ths
 Ant Doe. No Damage
 to Plant.
TO BE AT ONCE IMPORTED

washington, May 27.-The Depart- ment of Agriculture today announced that an ant has been found in Guate- mala that Is an effective enemy If the DOH weevii, It will be immediately in- troduced into the cotton States. rha greatest significance is attached to fhe discovery, which was made bv o E Cook, the botanist in charge of tropfcal agricultural inyestigationa as tha bureau Of plant industry. Cabled in- structions have been sent to him to rn- port immediately to the deparfmenk what assistance he needs in the way of men and money. "
 turing trip through Central Asia last year Mir. Cook discovered a eottor grown by Indians which gave fndica'- tlons or being immune from the boil Weevil. and on orders from the depart- ment ne later began an Investigation Mexico. ai'u
 Weevfl Attracts the Ant.
 Mir. Cooks investtgations hava h... m m more or less accessible regions in the province of Alta Vera Paz fyuata. maia. The weevils are present there but the investigations show they arc unquestionably kept in check bv tha presence of an active enemy in the shape of large. reddish brown mt which Is attracted to the cotton by the sDou sr wnlcn It secured from sets of floral nectaries.
 Mr. Cooks investigations show that these ants spread themselves over tIeia or cotton, four or five to plant. and, tnat they are constantly engaged f,, the destruction of the boil weevfls Mr cook reports that the adroit and buef- ness-hke way fin which the weeviI is disposed of seems to prove beyond question that the ant Is by structure anu lnstinct essecially equipped for the worn oI oestruction. and is in short. the cotton Is successfully cuItlvafrs by the Indians of Alta Vera Paz m spits of the presence of the boil weeviI-
 Bulletin Printed.
 After conference with Dr. n Galloway, Chief of the Bureau of Plant Industry. Dr. L. O. Howard, chief of the chronological division and other experts, Secretary Wilson today had . special bulletin on the subject printed Among other things, this bulletin savs.
 The ants, like the Indians. proba- ply came from the dry. open interier plateau region, where the center Of fha aporiginal cotton industry of Cuate- mala is still located. To establish th<. Tact of such an origin for this. useful Insect would greatly increase the prob.- aolIity of it's successful intro@ auction into the United States. The of a thoroughly tronf- cal animal requiring continuous heat and humidity could scarcely be honeA TOT. IT, however, the cotton ant can survive long, dry season and perhana cold weather in the table lands ce Guatemala, It might easily learn to hibernate in Texas, as has the t.oIr weevil. The ant is much better able to. protect itself against frost. since it excavates nest three or more feet fn- 70 the ground. Several have survived confinement for twelve days wfthout food. and seem now to be thrivinr on a diet of cane juice.
 To Establish Colonies.
 TO take worker ants to Texas wifi ne, evidently. very easy matter. but to secure queens and establish perma- nent colonies may require Considerable time and experiment and a thorough study of all the habits of the species.
 Although the cotton seems to be es4 pecialiy adapted to attract the ant by means of its numerous nectaries. tha Insect is not. like some of the members of It's class. confined to a single plant or to single kind of prey. It attacks and destroys insects of every order. in- cluding the hamiptora and even centi- pedes. On the other hand. 1t does not do the least injury to the cotton. or to any other plant. so far as has been as. certained, and 1t can be handled with impunity. having nono of the waspislr i'll temper of so many of the stingfna and biting ants of the tropics.
 Since where once established it exs ists in large numbers and seeks its prey actively, 1t Is a much more en- cient destroyer of noxious insects than the spider or the toad. It seems, In short. not unlikely to become a vaiusd assistance in the agriculture of the tropical and sub-tropicaI countries i6 not in temperate regions. The farmer has new and practical reason to acon~ sider the ant"