| Show NATURES PRODIGAL GIFT by dr E G titus director agricultural research the most fascinating objects in the world are by no means meana always the largest in id size many ot of the smallest objects living or nonliving non living are often the most beautiful and worthy of the tha most serious attention many can gaze upon such a sublime object as a snow crowned mountain peak or such a wonderous collection of spires pinnacles and monuments as nature has given us in the multicolored multi colored multi varied masses of bryce canyon and feel that nothing can surpass them in beauty grandeur and sublimity but have you ever spent a few hours watching some of the smaller objects formed by nature a growing plant with the infinite beauty ot of its leaf and stem flower and seed coloring the th sparkling radi radiance atice of the humming birds wings as it darts from flower to flowers the ever changing flow of I 1 color as the myriad insects butterflies moths bees flies beetles move swiftly or slowly over the growing plants in a field or garden then examine the minute objects more closely and you will find they are as perfect in design as varied in color 7 ing and lar far more infinite in variety than the larger objects the delicate intricacy eacy of perfection in the geometrical design of a snowflake the fineness of detail in the egg of a butterfly the shimmering beauty ot of a spiders web with the morning dew upon it and its various colored maker resting in the center among all of natures gifts there are none so intimately connected with the life of men as are the world of insects none so intimately connected with all the life of the world even as are these minute productions of nature all animals appear to be depend nt tor for food more or less directly non inon plants but the insects have by ir the more complex and intricate relationship with the plant world some of these varied connections are welcomed by the plant some are provided tor for and some are absolutely necessary for the propagation of the ilia plant species on the other hand the majority of plants some time in fit their lite life have to withstand a borje of insect torina forms which attack all of its living parts and even the dead and decaying tissues after its death insects are a world of 0 animal lite life unto themselves and while many species teed feed directly upon living plants other thousands prey upon other living things the food of 0 different insects varies over a broad range A few foods may be mentioned some of 0 which may appear unusual but nevertheless are not uncommon all know of the growing crops where man has continually to combat his insect toes foes and all too know of the value to us ot of the silk worm and the honey bee that furnishes us clothing and food but there are species of insects that teed feed upon ground red pepper quinine and mustard bore into lead pipe re move silver plating destroy telephone cable covers riddle leather pulver pulverize ize cl cigars ars and cigarettes devous the words on the printed page and pass in and out through the book and its bl bindings in ding feed in and live in seasoned and U unseasoned timber in crude oil and a thousand and one other varied and better known products ot of atte animal plant and mineral world myriads of 0 these minute beings are parasitic upon other insects living within their eggs their young their resting or stages and even in the adult forms nothing grows too solid for or them to enter there are beetles whose larvae or young bore in the hardest ot of timber such stich as ebony ironwood and maho mahogany gony and feed and complete their growth therein nothing seems too soft for them to live in as a witness tho the cotton ball wertll liying living on the delicate fabres fibre and the fly whose eggs are laid and young reared in the crude petroleum pools poola around oil wells wherever animal or plant life Is found be it on an almost barren desert or where rainfall is measured in feet not inches be ba it north ot of the artie circle where winter reigns through most of 0 the year or in the dank hot fastness of a tropical jungle be it on a mountain top amid perpetual snows or in the ever flowing tide waters of a great ocean there reigns tho the insect by tar far the most abundant either in varied forms or in members of all living animal or plant groups that we may observe the insect does indeed literally reign this Is truly the age of insects how many living species there are on the earth no one knows now new species are being described every day from every clime and there seems to be no end short of millions lifetimes might easily bo be spent and some have been in studying their Iia lia bils bits there is no group where the progress ot of life is so varied so intricate and so fascinating they ply the trades of 0 man makers and weavers of silk dressmakers milliners masons well diggers carpenters plasterers farmers stock raisers bread makers soldiers some live in great cities each with its ita own private residence others are hermits living alone apart from their fellows some live oguther in gigantic apartment houses ind others fashion themselves beautiful cabins and homes and some as among manki mankind iid rove the earth happy without a home T tho lie sugar cossette |
