The Tupelo journal., 1904-07-08
|FARMERAND PLANTER.
THE BOIL wEEvIL'S ENEMY.
Something About the Little Brow
Amt That Fights and COnquers
IN Boil Weevi1.

every cotton plantation, claSnlnS us
%mandibles and rushing to battle with
the terrible boil weevil, 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 so1th's %shuddering fight
against the boil weevil changes from
that of a lost cause to a campaign ap-
~parently certain of victory. The lit
tie brown ant will work the change.
II Is the scrappiest living organism
for Its size and weight in the world.
1t was apparently created for the sole
purpose of discriminating the boil
weevil. 1t is the little brown Jap OF
the insect world, just as the boil weevil
is the bulky and greedy Russian over
runing the Manchuria of King Cotton's
country. 1t would rather kill boil
weevils than eat, and it's 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 weevil destroys cotton
and the latter's destructiveness has I'M
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
weeviI. 1t falls upon it's enemy with
incredible fury, prizes open the weevlls
beetle-like armor, plunges its envenom-
ed sting in to the exposed part
and then it's the Dead March in Saul
for the weevil. The combats thus car
r.ed on are said to be intensely excit-
ing as s%pectacles.
SO thrilling are they, in fact, that
the Worlds fair management Is to be
urged to arrange for a daily exhibit
showing a battle between this wonder
ful ant and the cotton-killing boil
Weevil. 1t is represented that the COM
batants could be exhibited in a case n
der microscopic lenses giving a vastly
magnifed view of the fray. The whole
world at the fair might gaze spell
bound at such ar encounter and ap-
plald its 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 weevil as in recent years.
Yet the little brown ants name is
unknown. 1t it lone of the few, he
immortal names, that were not born
to die" but thus far its intrepid owner
is advancing incognito to his death
grapple with the boil weevil. All that
is known of him is that he halls from
Guatemala, where he has slain all the
boil weevils, and that he has never
vet declined a fight with his hereditary
feudsman or been bested in such a
fight.
Name or no name, however, he lit
tie brown ant will receive a welcome
as warm as if his cognomen were en-
graved with gratitudeIs fingers on ev-
ery American heart-especially since
cynics say gratitude is "a lively sense
of favors to come" For this ant is he
most beneficent creature the cotton
country has ever been called upon to
greet, and upon the prosperity of the
cotton country depends much of the
prosperity and comfort of all the world.
1t dwells in the cotton fields, but it
does no harm to the cotton. 1t Will
be found on every stalk, but mo- one
mouthful of the staple or fiber will it
eat, mol will it to the extent of a
pounds weight Lessen the annual crop.
Rather will it 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 1ourishes
about it's rugged head in the most
| threatening ann 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 it has a
lance-sharp sting that fairly reeks with
| poison. 1t has a supple body so full
of the JOY of conflict that it bends into
a circle when the fight wakes hottest,
thus enabling it's owner to work man
| dibles, Jaws and sting in a most har-
monious aggression. And it doesn't
belle it's 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 weevils
| around-and boil weevils have now dis
appeared from Guatemala-it attacks
and Stays centipedes hundreds of times
it's 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 it's very ugliness on bet
ter Acquaintance. Even in it's 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 it conducts its militant
| campaign against the boil weevil. The
little brown ant is a sagacious, as well
as a humorous antagonist. He refuses
to mass In large numbers at any given
point on a cotton plantation. Instead,
he goes about his field work in groups
of five, forming Independent scouting
parties. One member of the group
scurries up to the top of the cotton
| stalk. another halts an inch or two