4 o 
THE GARDEN OF THE WORLD 
so quickly that she cannot help but carry the 
pollen. It is the flower’s business to see that 
its pollen is carried to another flower, and nature 
provides a means to prevent any insect that in¬ 
terferes with that business from taking the 
pollen and nectar. If ants get into the flower 
first, there will be no pollen left for the bees 
and butterflies; so the ants must be kept out. 
Some flowers, like roses, have many fine hairs 
along their stems that keep an ant from crawl¬ 
ing up. As she goes up the hairs keep getting 
thicker and thicker. They are like a forest to 
her; so she gives up. The hairs near the top 
are smeared with a gummy juice which hold 
her legs. It is just about impossible for an ant 
to get to a rose. 
Milkweed juice is useful against ants, too. 
The skin of a milkweed stem is very thin. As 
the ant crawls up, her sharp feet cut through 
the thin skin and start the milky juice to flow¬ 
ing. Her feet become wet and tangled. If 
she is wise she will drop off immediately while 
she still can. If she keeps on trying to get up, 
