The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1904-10-13
inrlons ln sects, sueh as cnt-

S.scs~ furious insects, such as cut
worms, army worms, ,caterpillars,
gypsy moths, brovn-tail moths, May
beetles, rose chafers, wireworms, Gu
cumber and tomato beetles, also snads'
acknowledged worms and sow bugs
The quantity of injurious species de-
stroyed forms siSty-two per cent. OF
its total food. Should ants be included
as injurious, rs many housekeeperS
would think proper, this figure would
be increased to eighty-one per cent
These figures, derived from careful eH-
aminations, show the toad 10 be q
highly beneficial animal, ard well en-
titled to mans protection IN every pos
sible way.
The amount of food consumed by the
toad is remarkable, Records have been
given OF finding seventy.seven thou
sand-legged worms IN one stomach,
thirty-seven tent caterpiars in an
other, slxty.fve gypsy-moth catarpil-
lars in n third and flfy-6ye army
worms in a fourth. Under the writer's
direction twenty-four medium.siZcd
cypsy-moth caterpillars were fed 10
toad under observation before its APP
petite was appcased, while Mr., T. II,
Mosher fed over thirty fun grown Gel
cry caterpilarS to another IN less than
three hours. DR.. Dodge has seen a
toad "snap up eighty-siX house flies in
less than ten minutes while be has
also published an interesting observa-
ton by Ellen NJ, Foskett. Worcester,
Mass, who fed ninety rose-bugs TO a
toad without satisfying its appetite.
The number of insects a toad con-
sumes in season is conjecturaL The
writer is satisfied that the amount Of
food taken in twenty-four hours
amounts to about four times the stom-
ach capacity. In cold weather this
figure would be lower, while in mid
summer when insect life IS at its
height, the quantity would probably
be larger,
In ninety days "a period selected be-
cause May, June and July represent
the time Of the toad's greatest activity
1t would destroy 800 beneficial insects
ground beetlcsJ and 1920 injurious or
noXlOus insects. Take the single item
OF cut-worms. These insects are preyed
upon by ground beetles, Let us as.
sumo that the ground beetles, If spared,
would have succeeded in capturing
ten per cent Of the cut-worms. This
would leave net balance Of 1044 cut
worms to the toad's credit. Many
gardeners give their children one cent
apiece for each cut-worm found and
destroyed, considering this low estl.
mate Of the damage caused by the in
secs. Even at this nominal figure,
without considering the importance Of
the destruction Of other injurious in
sects, the toad's services on this one
item would figure S19.44.
The toad suffers from enemies both
NATURAL and unnatural. OF those pro-
vided by nature a few internal para
sites are sometimes found, while
hawks, owls, crows, snakes and skunks
yearly destroy large numbers. The
marsh hawk kills a great many toads
during the spawning season, while
hens, ducks, geese and guinea fowls
feed on the young toads MS they mi
CRATE from the breeding pools,
1t is, perhaps, the irony Of fate that
large numbers Of the toad should be
killed by man, the one most benefited
by its life. Lawn mowers work great
slaughter among them, while the prac-
tice of burning over lawns and fields
kills more, The killing Of toads in this
way is largely unnecessary, and the
extra labor involved in protecting their
lives will be more than repaid by their
services.
The heaviest charge of wrong doing
must be entered against the small boy,
ubiquitous, inquisltlve and often
thoughtlessly cruel. In a case coming
under the writer's notice two boys in
one afternoon established the disrepu.
table record Of seventeen dead and
mutilated toads captured at breeding
pool. Such wanton and expensive
exhibition Of cruelty may be unique.
but it is certain that thousands OF toads
are Killed in this way annually and
this practice win continue until our
boys are taught to recognize the value
Of the toad and to respect its rights.
Laws protect our insectivorous birds,
as well as others whose worth 10 man
is, to say the least, a debatable ques-
ton. The toad's worth is an estab-
lished fact. Should it not receive a
similar protection?
1t is said that English gardeners
often pay as high as SOS a hundred for
toads for colonizing purposes. That
such procedure is sometimes success
ful is shown by the experience Of the
well-known authoress, Celia Thaxter.