152. The Secretary of Agriculture claimed his department 

 was putting forth every pound of its strength to win the war, 

 but they were deaf to any request on my part to either admit 

 that I am right or show what is wrong. 



As the Argentine ant is spreading rapidly over the South- 

 ern States, the Bureau had been invited by Mr. Raker to define 

 its position, and they did it in this way : "The Argentine ant 

 is an insect that makes its nests in buildings . . . Mr. Rein- 

 lein's plan is to use a plumber's torch to drive the ants, which 

 he believes will carry their eggs and larvae with them into the 

 open, where it will be devoured by poultry." Every word is a 

 lie. The natural home of the Argentine ant is outside. In- 

 vasion of houses takes place chiefly during the periods of 

 scarcity of food outside, and they can be easily killed or driven 

 away inside by the use of poisoned sweets, the more quick act- 

 ing the better, I claim, which is also contrary to the teaching 

 of the Bureau. Slow-acting poison will kill a larger number 

 before the ants get wise, and leave for more healthy surround- 

 ings, which is outside where, under my plan, poultry can be 

 made to attack them. These ants prefer the excretions of 

 aphids and coccids to all other food, and spend much of their 

 time fostering these injurious insects and protecting them 

 against their natural enemies. I never advised the use of a 

 torch against this ant in buildings of any kind including green- 

 houses. Outside, poultry given the chance in quantity, so that 

 they can tackle the big undertaking, will subdue them, since the 

 nests of the ants in summer are very shallow, merely deep 

 enough to exclude light and water. I had pointed out, how- 



21 



