The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-07-20
GuatemaIan Ant Harmless.

The fear that the Guatemalan ant,
introduced as the salvation of the
Southern cotton grower, would prove
troublesome by stinging the bare feet
Of the cotton pickers and by his own
depreciation, is declared groundless by
Beverley T. Galloway, chief of the
United States bureau Of plant indus
try.
There were many persons through
out the South directly interested in
cotton growing, whose delight over
the announcement that Professor
Cook, of the United States depart
ment Of agriculture, had secured o
remedy for the dread cotton boil wee
vii in the Guatemalan ant, was short
ly mixed with doubt as to the advisa-
bility Of accepting the remedy offered
for the cotton pest. The claim was
made that the ant, though directly
beneficial in Kidding the Southern cot
ton fields of the most dreaded enemy
the plant has known in sixty years,
would in turn become nuisance and
would eventually have to be eradioated
at great cost. Comparison was made
with the English sparrow, which
Was introduced for q curative agent,
has become in turn plague in every
town and city of the whole country.
It was announced day or two ago
that Professor Cook had arrived in
this country with many thousand
healthy specimens of the ant and pro-
posed to make experiments in one
Texas cotton field as q practical de-
monstration of the value his disoove-
ry would be to the South and to set
ARREST The anxiety produced in South.
ern cotton planters minds over the
prospect of an additional loss Of $45,.
100000 worth Of his crop. An unex-
pected obstacle, however, was opposed
to the plan in an injunction gotten
out by Texas planter to prevent the
importation Of the Central American
insect upon the ground that the ant
would cause untold damage, would
multiply faster than was necessary for
the work ne was imported to look after
and would make it impossible for ne.
groes in bars feet to pick cotton. The
last objection was considered really
serious one as the brother in black is
constitutionally timid about going
into places invested with poisonous
insects or reptiles Of any character,
and shoes are not worn at oil times
and seasons with comfort. These
fears now seem groundless in view Of
the statement issued by Beverly T.
Galloway, chief Of the bureau OF plant
industry, who declares that the ant
kills the boil weevil by stingiug that
insect to death, but will not sting
other insects or human beings. Dr..
Cook declares that the ant appears to
be- half domestioated and will crawl
over his hand and eat Good thereon.
In view Of the injunction the depart.
ment Of agriculture has passed up the
question Of conducting these expert:
ments to the department. Of justice.
In case the injunction is dismissed
the experiments will be first made in
the Louisiana cotton fields.
Concerning the habits of the Guate-
malan ant Mr.. Galloway ssid:
"This Guatemalan ant is not veg.
etarian; it is q regular oannibal ant
and pTays only On the weevil. It will
not eat the leaves or any part OF the
cotton plant. When let loose in
cotton field the little animals do not
attack a single plant in body, but
distribute themselves over the entire
field and mount the cotton plants in
groups Of three or four. Wherever
We have experimental it has been
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