The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-06-22
A LITTLE RED ANT
That Is Worth More to the South
Than all Rockefeller's Millsons,

That Is Worth More to the South
Than all Rockefsllers Millsons,
IT DESTROYS THE BOIL WEEVIL
That Has Been Eating the Cotton
Crop Of Texas, and Menaced
the Cotton Crop of the
South.
A little red ant that lives in Guate-
mala, South America, turns out to be
natures own antidote to the boil wee
vii. This ant lives on the cotton plant,
but does 1t no harm. and 1t Is its par
ticuliar delight to kill the boil weeVil
wherever it finds it.
Professor O. H. Cook, Of the United
States Bureau OF Entomology, is now
in Guatemala studying the habits OF
the red ant and arranging to breed him
by the million in our Southern cotton
fields. The ant has already been in
troduced in Texas to find out how he
would behave away from home, and be
has promptly cleaned out the Weevil
from 900 acre cotton field.
Itnas taken John D. Rockefeller, the
richest man in the world, fifty years to
save his 81, 600, ,0O0,0 900. In view OF
the rapidly widening zone Of destrue.
ton Of the weevil pest, it is figured
that the little Guatemalan ant will
save the cotton growers OF the South
more than thousand million dollars
worth Of cotton in ten years.
The followering article about this
little red ant will be read. with inter
est.
Just why a certain small red ant,
native OF Guatemala, South America,
specially delights in killing the COT
ton-boll Weevil is not yet quite clear to
the experts Of the Bureau OF Entonno-
lopy Of the United States Department
of Agriculture. This will be studied
out later on.
Whatever other matters this ant
have on hand 1t will lay them aside
long enough to destroy every Weevll
that comes within its reach. The ant
rushes at the weevil, seizes it by the
throat with it's "feele,s" and holding
it with firm grasp the ant crushes in
the WeeVil's skull with It's saw toothed
tusks. For some reason not yet under
stood the ant then takes the trouble
to climb down the cotton plant with
the corpse Of the WeeVil and carry it
away. 1t does not eat it.
When it comes to tackle, the boil
weeyil has small chances against the
ferocious ant. The latter has great
advantage in seize, and is provided
with a strong mouth and sharp teeth
or tusks for biting, The weevll is &C.
tive, but has only a thick sucking
snout, and cannot possibly get away
from the ant, which is able both to
run fast and jump considerable dis
tance, if necessary.
Not only the beetle-shaped, full
grown weevil, but also the immature
larvae or grub of the weevil are de-
stroyed by the ants. These worms,
feeding inside the cotton bolls, are
hunted by the ants, which crawl in
through the holes previously bored oy
the adult weevils, when they went in
to lay the eggs. The ants tear the
larvae to pieces, apparently with a
fury OF anger.
These facts have already been re-
ported to the Bureau Ut Entomology
oy Prof. Cook, who is still investigat
ing the ants among the cotton fields
OF the Indians in Guatemala. Further
evidence OF the successful work Of the
ant comes from Bexar County, Texas,
where colony Of the ants were turn
ed loose on trial this Summer. The
Secretary Of Agriculture has received
dispatch from San Antonio, Texas,
stating that two aelds Of cotton, Gov
ering about six hundred acres. have
been entirely cleared Of the boll-Wee-
vii by millions OF ants, now swarming
on the plains.
The roads near the field are said to
be filled with ants carrying of the
dead boll-weevils. Secatary Wilson
has directed expert entomologist con-
nected with his Department., who are
now in Texas, to remain IN the cotton
fields and study the ant and his hab
it's and customs and best methods OF
breeding them in enormous quantities.
The tremendous Importance attach
ed to the discovery Of natures enemy
of the weevil may be easily realized
when it is understood that this weevil
has borne promise Of becoming the
most destructive enemy ever encount-
cred by man. Last year it destroyed
s49,279,a86.6l worth Of cott: p in
Texas, to WHICH State it is as yet con:
fined. But it is marching steadily
onward at the rate OF fifty miles per
annum, and unless something can be
done to check its progress, it will soon
have spread all over the cotton belt OF
the South. When that is accomplish
ed it may cause annul loss Of $3.50, 900,
900.
Such, up to now. has been the appall'
ing prospect. But the outlook is sud.
denly changed by the discovery Of this
ant, which is the long-sought foe OF
the weevil. It's favorits occupation
is the killing of bugs Of this species,
and, when it arrives on a cotton plant,
there is no further chance for the pes
tiferous insects. 1t murders them,
every one.
The discovery Of the ant was not
merely a lucky accident. For the
last ten years the Government Bureau
OF Entomology has been trying to find
an enemy Of the cotton-boll Weevil,
with a view to introducing 1t in the
infested belt. Expert bug hunters
have travelled all over Mexico, Cuba