HUMBLE HELPERS 111 



roots of the corn, and there is a certain family of ants 

 that Hve in those corn fields. Perhaps the ants live 

 there to be near their cows, — who knows? However 

 that may be, they attend to these cows with great 

 care, for in the autumn they go around and gather 

 up the tiny eggs which the mother aphids have laid 

 in the ground to hatch out the next spring. The ants 

 know that the eggs are not safe over winter in the 

 ground and that the cold weather will destroy almost 

 all of them; so into their cities they carry the eggs 

 and store them all along their tunnels and corridors. 



When the first warm days of spring come the eggs 

 hatch. Then the ants take out the young aphids and 

 place them upon the roots of the first httle plants 

 that come up in the cornfield. But after the corn is 

 up what do the ants' do but pick them up once more 

 and, carrying them to the corn plants, put them 

 safely into the tunnels which they have dug for them 

 along the young roots. 



All this helps the ants, of course. It is fine for 

 them and for the aphids. The aphids are, without 

 any trouble on their part, transplanted to a land of 

 plenty, while the ant has an abundance of the most 

 dehcious honey-dew. But how about the farmer 

 and the corn? The farmer planted that corn for him- 

 self, not for the ants and the aphids. He tends it 

 with great care so it will bear fine, juicy ears of sweet 

 corn for him, or firm yellow ears for his poultry and 

 cattle. If the aphids are on the corn they will suck 

 juice out of the roots. Then the leaves will not 

 have juice enough to make over into sap. 



You know what happens when the leaves cannot 



