The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-09-05

ANT NOT WANTED
Strong Opposition 70 introduce
tirn is Growing
COTTON GROWERS FEAR
ANT MAY BE AS DESTRUCTIVE AS
BOIL WEEViL-uNWEL.
COME APPROPRIATIONS
OF THE PAST.

I
The proposed use Of the kalen, {
Guatemaian ant, to cxterminate I'll
Mexican cotton toll Weoyel Is arou
ing great interest in the south, say
!, New Orleans dispatch to the Ne'
| York Sun
| The cotton crop viii soon be read
to pick, and ITS size depends upon tn
extent Of the rayages of the boil wet
vii Therefore, the matter affects no
the south alone, but every user of CO.
ton goods.
The pest Is likely 10 grow worse an
-euse greater damage every year III
las5 some way is found to check it
avlrcs In spite of two boil weevi
j conventions the organization of bo!
weevil commissions in Texas, Louis
lana and Mississippi, the liberia
Gums appropriated by these states ant
| by the federal government for fight
ing the bell weevils, and the s50,00I
prize for a remedy offered by tht
Texas legislature, no method of get
ting ria of the destructive pest has
been found. At best, it has beer
possihla to make certain suggestions
Whereby, at great expense and labor
the amount OF damage caused by tins
weevil Is reduced.
From the start, a vague hope has
been expressed that some other in
sect would be found that would kill
of the weayil Is the kalep to be the
dellvercr? The chronological bureau
and not the agricultural department
say it is, and ask for a chance to
Grove H.
They aave gone to considerable ex.
pense Is search the world over for AZ
enemy TO the weeyil, ana declare that
they have at last found it In the
Guatemalan ant, They stand ready to
axe var upon the cotton eater, but
l1c cotton people hesitate TO commit
the ants 10 ,her fielas.
Tbe planters are Hnc the Earopelu
powers in the Russian-Japanese war,
who wanted to see the Japanese whip
the Russians, but were afraid Of the
complications the war would lead up
to. Or perhaps they remember their
Aesop, and the fable telling how the
secured man for her ally in the war
with the stag. Admitting that the
Ealep will 10 all that is expected OF X,
may not the ant itself prove mere
dangerous peril than the weeyil? This
is the question the planters are ask.
ing.
This las led 20 a very general dis
cussion in the Southern press of Am.
orican and other Improvements on ma.
uTe .ell Nj. results that nave fol
lowed The strong ST argument 10
favor o. the saleD is the success OF
the department OF agriculture in the
Importation u iady bugs from Austria
lia as an sntidote for the San Jose
scale.
The latter pest had seriously IN
fected the California orange crop, in
vaded Texas ana was making It's way
toward Florida. when its ruinous
course In the south was stopped by
the Australian lady bug. The experl.
ment was a great success, and no one
has yet a bad word for the Australian
visitor.
On the other hand, Senator Bailey
Of Texas. Ross Clark of Lavaca, the
bader IN the fight against importing
Central American insects and turning
them loose On the community, and
many other planters cite other expert.
men;s against the proposed expert
ment.
They call attention to the importa-
ton Of English sparrows for the pur-
pose d getting rid of the worms and
bugs in New York and TO their spread
al over the country. abandoning their I
habits. driving out ma.
i've birds and becoming very trouble |
lome themselves ana great dcstroyers 1
If. fruit
The mongOOse, imported into Jam
sioa to kin off the rats which injured
he sugar cane. performed that work
successfully. but has since become
en- times the nuisance the rats were.
or after killing off the rats. il took to
iating spring chickens. Similarly. the
English rabbits imported into Austria.
Ia have proved one of the greatest
urses CT that island continent.
The Importation Of water hyacinths
which came from the same country
IS tie kalep.-has cost the South mil.
ions OF dollars and put the federal
government 10 considerable expense
o get ria Of its growths. which have
cndercd most of the Gulf streams un.
Iavigable Similarly. Bermuda grass.
from the West Indies. mas
increased the cost of cultivation IN
he South 10 per cent, and cocoa
rass kas also aided 20 the trouble
nd expense Of the farmers.
Two Of the most troublesome plants
o the Southern farmers were actual
y imported by the United States de-
Of agriculture and scatter
4 through the South before their
angerOus character was discovered.
ne first and worst Of these was John
IN trace rvhfeh vyae raoornrf1af, led IN :