Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1910-07-21

continue to grow until \ meets some
object and then begin its work q az
struction.
what do they eat? Almost any
thing they can bite. Which means
that all kinds of metals are safe from
their ravages. However. II by means
Of their moist mortar they succeed IN
rusting a metal, they may gain an, en-
trance through It. There are q FEW
kinds Of timber too hard for them
to destroy. Other things being equal
they usually prefer that which is dry
and in plants that which is dead OF
dying, to the living or growing ones
Again woody plants are attacked be-
fore the green or succulent ones.
They very readily destroy corn, put
when 1t is still green the entire COD
is sometimes consumed before the
grain is touched.
On account of these pests, IL Is very
difficult to know what to plant. Corn
as long as It is growing rapidly, ana
is constantly cultivated, thus break
ing the little underground tunnels
does not suffer; but as soon as It Is
too late for the oxen and cultivator'
and especially when the stocks Pc
come somewhat hardened and dry
the little creatures begin. OCCASION
ally one may see stalk Of corn en-
tirely covered by their clay and potn
corn and stalk consumed while
standing, almost nothing being iert
to indicate that 1t was corn except
the form. This, however, is not the
usual way. The ants usually begin
at the roots and cut them off until
the stalk falls and then they can de-
YOUR 1t easily. AS soon as the corn ID
large enough to be eaten, It is neces-
sary for the boys to 60 through tne
field about every second day ana
gather in that which has fallen TO the
ground. This must be continued IN
til the grain is harvested. II II were
nossible to have horses here ana
then keep the cultivator going until
the grain is ripe, one would be spared
the trouble of constantly gathering
and also reap better crop. All gar
den vegetables suffer somewhat, but
as has been stated the woody plants
and trees suffer most; 80 that It is
difficult to have an orchard. BY
well-tarring the roots and constantly
cultivating one may have a measure
Of success, but often in an unguard-
Cd moment the result of days OF Ia
bor NAV be destroyed in a single
night AS an illustration, a very
nice fruit in this hot climate Is the
granadilla. It grows on vine some,
what like a grapevine, but the frui'
Is about the size of small lemon
We had early started some OF these
cared for them and built large ar
bor for the vines. Not only had they
been well-cultivated and tarred, bu'
during the dry season water had beer
y carried over half mile to Keel
them growing. They were aolnt
finely and last year they began te
hear fine, large fruit. One morning
we noticed some Of the leaves were
whitening on the largest plant. VIZ
examined and found that the vine'
were eaten entirely off just peioN
the surface of the ground. The WORE
was quite fresh and to all appear
ance had been done in single day
The rest Of the vines were at once al
tended to more vigorously than ever
but to no avail. One by one they
were cut off by the destroyer veg
tables often suffer in like manner
and II is difficult to know what frui'
|, trees are likely to survive their raw
: ages.
Now about the buildings. Huts are
made of poles plastered with mud
aud the roofs are of thatched straw
the floors of earth pounded hard
FIrst the borers honeycomb the ex
noaed timbers, such as the roof WIN
dow and door frames, then the anu
: follow, cover the timbers with cla'
ond enter the openings made by tn'
borers, and thus pften. finish the re
maining wood. In the first hut W
bui,t a muslin ceiling was put up y
, Drsvent the sawdust and clay IRON
failing continually, During the firs
ra,nv season the ceiling became 3
Weighted with the falling sawdust
! that e was necessary to open It abou
once in two weekS to remove the dus
ann clay; a small tub full each time
This was chiefly the work Of the DOT
ers but they leave the timeers Il
, s,eh condition that the ants sool
, finish them. In this hut which ma
I