The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1904-07-23
FARMER PLANTER
THE BOIL wEEvIL's ENEMY.
Something About the Little Brown
Ant That Fights and Conqusra
the Roll weeyII.

An ant, newly discovered and worth
q q iarter Of a billion dollars a year to
the southern and southwestern states,
is now about TO leap into the arena OF
every cotton plantation. clashing its
maudibles and rushing to battle with
the terrible boil weeyil, the ruthless
destroyer Of cotton. 1t is microscopic
In size, brown in color, flexible of
body, pugnacious Of temper, poisonous
with venom Thanks to this sudden
ally, the sogth's ~shuddering fight
against the boil weeyil changes from
that Of a lost cause to a campaign APP
parently certain of victory. The lit
tie brown ant will work the change.
l; Is the scrappiest living organism
for its size and weight in the world.
It was apparently created for the sole
purpose of exterminating the boil
wesvil. 1t Is the little brown Jap OF
tbs insect world, just as the boil weevil
is the bulky and greedy Russian over
runing the Manehuria of King Cotton's
country. 1t would rather kill boil
weeyils than eat, and its fighting tao
tics are irresistible. The ant will be
shown at the Worlds fair.
This amazing ant, whose value to the
world at large is almost beyond COM
putation, destroys the boil weevil faster
than the boil weeyil destroys cotton
and the latter's destructiyeness has IN
til now held the worlds record. Around
every cotton stalk the little brown ant
establishes a Cossack outpost picket,
five strong, and watches for the boil
weevil. 1t falls upon its enemy with
incredible fury, prizes open the weevils
beetle-like armor, plunges its envenom-
ed sting in to the exposed part
and then it's the Dead March in Saul
for the weeyil. The combats thus car
red on are said to be intensely eXcit-
Ing al spectacles.
so thrilling are they, in fact, that
tna Worlds fair management is to be
urged to arrange for a daily exhibit
showing a battle between this wonder
full ant and the cotton-killing boil
wehvil. 1t is represented that the COM
batants could be exhibited in a case I'M
der microscopic lenses giving a vastly
magnifed view of the fray. The whole
world at the fair might gaze SPELL
bound at such an encounter and ap-
pland It's outcome-for the little brown
ant Is always the victory, and his VIC
tory means that the worlds cotton
crops are hereafter to be harvested for
mans use instead of largely going to
feed the boil weeyil as in recent years.
Yet the little brown ants name is
unknown. 1t it zone of the few, the
immortal names, that were not born
to die" but thus far its intrepid owner
Is advancing incognito to his death
graphic with the boil weeviI, All that
Is known of him is that he halls from
Guatemala, where he has slain all the
boil weeyils, and that he has never
yet declined a fight with his hereditary
feudsman or been bested in such a
fight.
Name or no name, however, the lit
tie brown ant will receive a welcome
as warm as if his cognomen were en-
graved with gratitude's fingers on ev-
cry American heart-especially since
cynics say gratitude is "a lively
of favors to come" For this ant is the
most beneficent creature the cotton
country has ever been called upon 10
greet, and upon the prosperity Of the
cotton country depends much of the
prosperity and comfort of all the world.
It dwells in the cotton fields, but it
does no harm to the cotton. 1t will
be found on every stalk, but not m
mouthful of the staple or fiber will 1t
eat, nor will it to the extent of a
pounds weight Lessen the annual crop.
Rather will 1t insure a maximum Of
harvest for every plantation, because
it will be there as a faithful sentinel,
challenging and fighting to the death
the inveterate enemy of cotton.
This good and faithful ant, like many
other good and faithful creatures, is
not pretty to look at. Seen through a
microscope, it suggests a Welsh rare
bit nightmare or the fever imaginative
product of broiled lobster eaten just
before bedtime. 1t is hairy and trucu-
lent. 1t has fierce eyes. 1t has steel
like mandibles which it fiourishes
about its rugged head in the most
threatening anner 1t has formida-
BILE jaws that snap together as do those
of a cruel animal trap. At the end
which goes last over a fence 1t has a
lance-sharp sting that fairly reeks with
poison, 1t has a supple body so full
of the joy of conflict that 1t bends into
a circle when the fight wakes hottest,
thus enabling its owner to work man
dibles, jaws and sting in a most har-
monious aggression. And 1t doesn't
belle its looks. 1t is a killer. 1t makes
a slaughter house Of its immediate
vicinity, the insect creation furnishing
the material, with the boil weevil for
choice. If there are no boil weeyils
around-and boil weevils have nov dis
appeared from Guatemala-it attacks
and Stays centipedes hundreds of times
its size.
The ants challenge Is only TO the
insect world. 1t is mans true friend.
The people Of the southern states will
grow to love its very ugliness on bet
ter acquaintance. Even in its method
OF warfare this ant is what Artemus
Ward would have called IAN amoosin'
little cuss." It's as good as a circus
to see how 1t conducts its militant
campaign against the boil weevil. The
little brown ant Is a sagacious, as well
as a humorous antagonist. He refuses
10 mass In large numbers at any given
point on a cotton plantation. Instead,
be goes about his field work in groups
If five, forming independent scouting