The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1919-06-27

New wonders of nature continually
are opening to the home gardener who
watches carefully the evolution of the
creatures in his food plot. Even the
insects that attack his plants have
power to amaze. And no insects are
more interesting than the tiny plant
lice or aphids, which grow in large
number of forms and suck the juices
from various kinds of plants.
The most remarkable thing about
some of the aphids is their partnership
with other insects. Many forms of the
aphids are fostered and protected from
the beginning to the end of their little
lives by the Industrious ants. The part
nership seems to have reached most
pefect form in the case of the corn
root aphids and the cornfield ant, and
it is usually found that where there
are aphids there are ants.
Operation Of Ant-Aphis Alliance.
The partnership of ant and aphis-
the cornfield ant and the c0rn-rOot
aphis-operates in nearly every Sec
ton where corn is grown east of the
of the corn belt states. The work
ings of the partnership have been COM
pared to a subterranean dairy, with
the aphis as the ants "cow," the ant
directing the enterprise, the aphis do
ing the work, and the ant getting the
profits. The ant is not directly harm
full to the corn, but the aphis is. With
out the ant, however, the firm would
have to go out of business and that is
why the United States department Of
agriculture tells farmers who want
to get rid of corn-root aphis to get rid
of the ant. The same advice applies
in the case of certain other forms of
root aphids.
This is how the subterranean dairy
works:
In the fall the ants carry the eggs
of the aphids to their nests and care
for them as they do for their own
young. In the spring, when the eggs
hatch the ants tunnel along weed
roots and place the helpless aphids on
the roots. Soon the aphids begin to
give off 'shoneydew," made from the
juices of the plants on which the
aphids are resting. The ant dearly
loves 'shoneydew," and they tenderly
watch over and care for their "cows."
The aphids are wholly dependent
throughout their life on the ants.
Escaped Aphids Seized by Ants.
The first two or three generations of
aphids live entirely on the roots Of
weeds, but as soon as the newly-plant-
ed corn sprouts the ants transfer the
aphids to the more succulent corn
roots. After two or three successive
generations, many of the aphids may
be winged, and some escape from the
ground through the ant tunnels and
fly away to new field. If they chance
to alight near an ant hill they are
seized Immediately by the watchful
ants, carried into their burrows, placed
on roots, and honeydew production
starts again.
When cold weather is approaching
and the ant carries the aphids' eggs
and the young ants deeper into the
soil, the ant goes at least eight inches
under the soil and eight inches is
deeper than the ordinary pillow fur
row.
The particular aphis that attacks
corn is called the corn-root aphis be-
cause of it's preference for that plant.
In gardens 1t is very common on as
tiers and related plants. There are
many other varieties of aphis, how
ever, and for many of them ants have
a tender feeling. For instance, there
are the aphids that attack orange
trees in California. The ants surround
these aphids, attack other insects that
attempt to reach them, and induce the
aphids to excrete honeydew by strok-
ing their bodies with their antennae,
or feelers. Unfortunately for the or
ange aphids, however. they are at
tackled by winged parasites which
ssting" and lay eggs in them, and these
parasites are so small and active that
the ants. cannot successfully defend
their charges.
How to Control Pests.
The corn-root aphids In fields is con-
trolled by rotating with crops upon
which the aphids cannot live, by plow-
ing and dlsking. thus breaking up the
ant and aphis colonies, and by the use
of certain pungent substances, mixed
with a chemical fertilizer and distrib-
uted by means of fertilizer attach
ment to the corn planter. These sub
stances tend to drive away the ants
and prevent them from placing aphids
on the corn roots.
Aphids in Gardens.
The home gardeners whose plants
are attacked by aphids, such as the