The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-07-29
GUATEMALAN ANTS.
The Texas Cotton Planters Object to
the Boil weevirs Foe.
TIE CAUSE OF TIE OPPOSITION
They Suspect It May Prove
Greater Pest Than tho WeeviI
Devastating the Cotton
Fields.

Greater Pest Than tho Weevil
Devastating the Cotton
Fields.
The proposed use OF the 'kalep'' Oh
Guatemalan ant to exterminate the
Mexican cotton boil weevil is arousing
great interest in the south. The cot
ton crop will soon be ready to pick,
and its size depends on the extent of
the ravages of the boil weevil. There.
fore the matter affects not the south
alone, but every user of cotton goods.
The pest is likely to grow worse and
cause greater damage every year un-
less some way Is found to check Its
ravages. In spite Of two boil weevil
conventions, the organization Of boil
weevil commissions In Texas, LouiSi-
ana and Mississippi, the liberal sums
appropriated by these states and by
the Federal government for fighting
the boil weevlls, and the $50, 900 prize
for remedy offered by the Texas
legislature, no method Of getting rid
of the destructive pest has been found.
at best 1t has been possible to make
certain suggestions whereby, at great
expense and labor, the amount of DAM
age caused by the weevil Is reduced.
From the start vague hope has
been expressed that some other insect
would be found that would kill of
the weevil. Is the "kalep" to be the
deliverer? The chronological bureau
and the agricultural department say it
1s and ask for chance to prove It.
The have gone to considerable ex.
pense to search the world over for
an enemy to the weevil, and declare
that they have at last found it in the
Guatemalan ant. They stand ready
to make war upon the cotton eater,
but the cotton people hesitate to COM
NIT the ants to their fields.
The planters are like the European
powers in the Russo-Japanese war
who wanted to see the Japanese whip
the Russians, but were afraid Of the
complications the war would lead to
nd the aaaaanlla have been bog TO giy,
ncrse secured mau for her ally in tine
war with the stag. Admitting that
the "kalep" will do all that is ex.
pected of it, may not the ant itself
prove more dangerous peril than the
weevil? This Is the question the plant.
ers are asking.
This has led to q very general dig
cussion in the southern pres, of
American and other improvements on
nature and the results that have fol-
lowed. The strongest argument in
favor OF the "kalep" Is the success Of
the department OF agriculture in the
importation OF )adybugs from Aus
tral1a as cure or antidote for the
San Jose scale.
The latter pest had seriously in
fected the California orange crop, in
vaded Texas and was making its way
toward the orange groves of Louisiana
and Florida, when it's ruinous course
In the south was stopped by the Aus
tralian ladybug. The experiment. was
q complete success, and no one has
yet bad word for the Australian vis-
itor.
On the other hand, Senator Bailey,
Of Texas, Ross Clark, Of Lavaca, the
leader In the fight against importing
Central American insects and turning
them loose on the community, and
many other planters cite other expe.
riences against the proposed expert
ment.
They call attention to the importa-
tion Of English sparrows for the pur-
pose OF getting rid OF the worms and
bugs in New York and to their spread
all over the country, abandoning their
insectivorous habits, driving out ma
tive birds and becoming very trouble
some themselves and great destroyers
of fruit.
The mongoose, imported into ia
maica to kill off the rats which injured
the sugar cane, performed that work
successfully, but has since become ten
times tie nuisance the rats we're, for
after killing off the rats 1t took to
eating spring chickens. Similarly, the
English rabbits imported into Aus
tralia have proved one Of the greatest
curses Of that island continent.
The importation OF water hyacinths
which came from the same country
as the 'kalep''-has cost the south
millions Of dollars and put the FEEDER
al government to considerable expense
to get rid Of its growths, which have
rendered most OF the Gulf streams un-
navigahle. Similarly, Bermuda grass,
Imported from the West Indies, has
Increased the cost OF cultivation in the
south 70 per cent, and cocoa grass has
also added to the trouble and expense
OF the farmers
Two Of the most troublesome plants
to southern farmers were actually i'm.
ported by the United States depart.
ment OF agriculture and scattered
through the south before their danger
GUS character was discovered. The
hrst and worst OF these was johnson
grass, which was recommended to the
farmers as an excellent forage plant.
johnson grass grows with rapidity
that Is startling and it cannot be erad-
icated. You may dig it up or burn it,
but you cannot get rid Of it. The leg
islatures OF both Texas and Louisiana
prophit Its importation, and the quar-
antinc against 1T is as stringent as
against smallpox.
The United States department. OF
agriculture also recommended Japa-
nese bamboo as likely to thrive In the
south, and offered samples OF 1T to
southern farmers. They planted it.
There Is no question about It's thriv-
ing.
Mr.. Clark, who is leading the fight
against the Guatemalan ant, is one of
the men who planted the bamboo. 1t
grew SO fast that he and his neighbors
became alarmed, as 1t threatened to
cover the whole plantation. When he
triad n RI nft t,o i