Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-11-29
TOADS ARE VALUABLE.
Earns His Living Eating Pestiferous
Insects and Worms.

object of aversion, yet 1t is one OF the
most useful of the lesser servants OF
man, says the New York Sun. Many
people believe it emits venom ana
that handling it will cause warts
There is no truth whatever in the be-
lief about warts The venom" is only
a milky, acrid fluid that it elects
through it's smooth skin when it is
frightened or disturbed. The fluid ir-
ritates mucous membranes, and for
chat reason a dog that attempts to bite
a toad will often show distress. But
owls and hawks-birds that habitually
eat toads-are apparently undisturbed
by the secretion, and certainly 1t is not
strong enough to affect the hands.
Apart from the means of defense
the toad is an absolutely unprotected
creature, consequently thousands oil
toads are needlessly destroyed every
year.
If YOU dislike toads study their eyes,
which are almost as brilliant as jew
els. The feeling of aversion will soon
disappear and instead OF seemingly an
ugly little beast the toad will grow in
tercsting and even attractive in its in
innate low comedy way.
The Toad's Voracious Appetite.
Toads are greedy but although their
appetites seem Unsuitable, they will
touch nothing that is not alive. Nov
ing insects they snap up as soon as
they creep or fly within the range OF
their long tongues, which are hinged
at the front instead of the back.
In "a hours a toad eats an amount
of food equal to four times the ca
pacity of it's stomach. OF that COM
paratively imrlensc quantity of food at
least three -fifths of it is made up Of
insects that are harmful to vegeta-
ton. Cut worms, gypsy moths, tent
caterpillars, army worms, brown tailed
| moths, house flies and rose chafers are
! some of the pests on which the toad
feeds. One toad under observation
consumed "a medium sized gypsy
moth caterpillars in one morning; an
| other ate 80 full grown celery caterpil-
lars in less than three hours; still an
other deyoured Sc house flies in ten
minutes, and fourth ate 80 rose bugs
as fast as he could and at the end Of
the neal was still hungry.
The department of agriculture esti-
mates that the economic value of n
single toad, based on its destruction OF
cutworms alone during the months OF
May, June and July, when insects take
! their highest toll, is S19.44. In that
valuation destroying one worm is
reckoned to be worth one cent. 1t is
low estimate Of the damage cut
worms do. And of the cutworms all
! the other insects that the toad destroys
and its Importance and value become
increasingly apparent.
Keep Colonies in Garden.
Gardeners are gradually learning
that il is worth while to keep colonies
of toads in their gardens, but no one
in this country has yet reached the
degree of appreciation that prompts
many English gardeners to buy toadS
by the hundred. The toad, however,
has so strong a homing instinct that
unless he is brought n great distance
he will promptly hop back when he IS
released No carrier pigeon or hre-
side cat ever turned more unerringly
homeward than toad will turn. by
raising them from tadpoles the diff
Guilty of keeping them is overcome, Tor
the place where they leave the water
as toads is always home to them.
1t is said that full grown toads al
ways return to the pond where they
were hatched to mate and lay their
eggs; and they return year after year
to the same little den or shelter. ana
to the same feeding ground. Several
instances are on record Of a toad living
in one dooryard or garden for % or 81
wears: and one toad lived SO yeais IN
an English garden.
If YOU wish to raise toads, make use
of the shallow pool for a breeding
place, pair of toads, few fresh water
CLANS to keep the water circulating
and supply of water plants.
A Musical Creature.
The names of toad" and frog are
used almost interchangeably by ignor-
ant people, but they mean quite differ
ent creatures. Frogs live most of their
lives in the water, whereas the toad
goes TO the breeding pond only at the
mating season. which varies from
early March in southern ATTITUDES to
April or May further north. Waking
M at that time from their long winter
sleep. they journey forth to the music
of the soft, jubilant trilling OF the
males-that herald music of the spring
that has been called the sweetest
sound in nature. Each toad makes di-
rcctly for the pond that it claims Tor
its own. The number that congregate
on the shores of even the smallest lake
is remarkable. One writer counted
$50 on the banks of body of water
that covered only half an acre.
The similarity between the trilllng