Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-07-22
TOAD THE FRIEND OF FARMERS
Numbers by the Harmless. but
uply. Little Animals.

Ihe government, through the De-
partment OF Agriculture, has come to
the defense OF the common toad, and
spoken a good word for it as the true
friend Of man.
So much that is false has been writ
ten and believed about this humble
denizen OF the road and fields, that
statement of his numerous good
qualities, by a scientist who has spent
many patient years in personal inves-
legations, is thought to be timely
hence the publication of farmers bul.
letin No. SO, which ought TO secure
for the toad warm place in the heart
Of every thoughtful person.
1t is o heavy tax that insects levy on
agriculture, and much time has been
given by scientists to the exploitation
OF remedies for combating these pests.
The general public is beginning to
understand something Of the value of
birds as destrOyers of noxious insects,
and this understanding has taken con-
crete form in statutes in nearly all of
the States, looking to the preservation
Of bird life, but apparently it is not
generally known that toads, ugly as
they are, aud objects of disgust and
even fear, to many people, perform a
service for the farmer and gardener,
and for the public generally, as i'm
pOrtant as that performed by birds.
The toad is unfortunate in that he
has had to bear the burden of long
standing and firmly misrepresen.
tation. We have adopted in their en-
tirety the principal European tradi.
tions concerning the toad, as set forth
by the early writers on natural history,
and hence in the popular thought this
meek and harmless little animal is
venomous and filled with all manner
of uncleanliness.
Among the best known OF the tradi.
tions is that which credits the toad
with producing warts on the hands.
Other traditions say that its breath is
poisonous TO infants, and that if killed
by accident or design it will produce
bloody milk in cows.
It should not be necessary to say
that none Of these traditions has the
slightest foundation in fact, and that
the toad, instead Of being all these
things, is a modest and reliable friend
of the agriculturist everywhere, and
does his full share in the work OF free.
ing the earth of insect pests.
Government scientists have exam.
ined the st0machs of large numbers
of toads, for the purpose of ascertain
ing definite information about their
diet.
From estimates made with great
care il is known that the average toad
will during one growing season con-
sumo 2, ,16O cutworms, 1900 myriapods.
2,l60 SOW bugs. 3,24O ants. $50 weevils
and 800 ground beetles.
Many gardeners give children a PEN
ny for every cutworm found, and at
this nominal figure the value OF q
single toad to each of these gardeners
in a single season is $2l 60.
In the cities and towns the toad has
learned that the electric and even the
gas street lights attract insects of all
kinds, and so it happens that at night
time, the only time the toad is abroad
in the land, he is to be seen in the vi
cinity of these lights. The feeding
time lasts all night. and during this
time the toad fills and empties his
stomach four times.
In England the value OF the toad is
better understood than il is in this
country, and there are cases where
English gard have paid $25 per
hundred for toads for colonizing pur-
poses.
Celia Thaxter, the well-known au-
thoress, at one time found her beauti-
full gardens at the Isles OF Shoals over.
run with insects and snails. A consid.
able number of toads were imported
from the mainland, with the result
that the pests were suppressed and the
flowers preserved.
There is q suggestion in the bulletin
of the Department of Agriculture that
if the toads we're talked about in the
public schools it would be a good
thing for the public at large, since its
chief enemy is the typical small boy.