Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1961-12-14, Page 2' Same Day Ants May kale The World If human beings botch their alleles, ants may eventually rule the earth in their place. Undig- ri fled, you think? Perhaps. But ants are not so puny as millions who trample them underfoot. imagine. They form the only societies, apart from man, to indulge in organized warfare and totalitari- an practices, Certain species raid the quar- ters of other species with mili- tary -like precision, seize and carry of captives, and then in- eorporate them as slave labour- ers In their own communities. Theirs is a concentration camp technique even Nazi Germany might have envied for its ruth- less efficiency, Despite their lack of size, ants also possess quite staggering powers of territorial expansion. In the nineteenth century an Eastern species spread rapidly over North Africa and Southern Europe, even reaching Maderia and Bermuda, And then the invaders quickly exterminated the smaller native races. Now an Argentine species has *aught the imperialist or coloniz- ing fever. From its original base at New Orleans, this species has overrun the southern United States. More recently, its advance parties have poured into Bermuda where they are busy consolidating their posi- tion by destroying earlier in- vaders, Some 15,000 different species of ants are crawling about the earth. They do not interbreed. Altogether the ant kingdom has untold thousands of millions more beings than the 3,000 mil- lion strong human race, If our civilization goes atomi- aally mad, some of these crea- tures, especially those living in cells deep underground, will al- most certainly survive. In the light of modern researches, only a foolish man would place a limit en the power of ants. The fiercest of their carnivo- rous species, the dreaded "legion- ary" or "driver ants," advance in dense columns, exterminating every living thing in their track. I3 they come across a tethered horse, goat or camel, they will pick its bones clean. Their policy is more concen- trated and ugly than anything eye practised by invading Huns or Tartars. These killer ants never slack- en, never abandon their restless, annihilating spirit; it seems that they are eternally on the march, and what makes their march so terrible and so uncanny is that every member of their destruc- tive legions is completely blind. Acute powers of smell guide them to their prey. Ants, in common with human beings, belong to different orders or evolutionary gradings. Some species, like man in his early days, lived entirely as nomads and hunters, stalking, capturing and devouring other insects. But evolution, exerting invis- ible pressures over thousands of years, has elevated them. Now we see them as pastoralists, cow keepers and agriculturists. A good example of this devel- opment comes from Brazil. Here, the "atta ants" live in highly organized communities under- ground. keel ant city, with its raised mounds, twenty feet or more across, may weigh several hun- dred tons and house over half a million inhabitants. There is ceaseless activity within and without. The work- ers stream forth daily to collect herbage. Some climb up trees, others collect these pieces and carry them fifty yards or more to the subterranean city. There they are laid out on chamber floors to act, in their decaying state, as fermenting beds for the fungi on which the whole colony lives. Through this industry, millions of tiny mushroom -like seedlings epring up. The ants mow off ISSUE 50 — 1961 their heads, eating these tops as their daily bread. Scientists have tried in vain to reproduce these ant mushroozns in laboratories. In eultivating their fungi the ants, it seems, smear there with a fertilizing ingredient from their own bodies which is unknown to science, writes A, J, Forrest in "Tit -Bits." Eventually the time comes for a young queen to leave the city on her nuptial flight and estab- lish a city of her own making, Before taking off, she collects some fungi spores, kneads them Into some leaf soil, and drops this vital dowry into her mouth pouch, Then, once she has mated and found a crevice where she can prepare a bed chamber to begin her enormous reproductive duti- es, her first concern is to spit out her precious mushroom pellet. The spores take root, germinate and multiply. So the new city's food supplies are assured. For the queen quickly breeds workers, which tend and extend these fungi beds, so keeping pace with the colony's ever-growing needs. That won- derful cycle never ceases. Dairy ants keep their "cows" in underground sheds with en- trances and exits so designed that their domestic stock, aphides and other insects, can't escape. These creatures are genuinely milked, The ant cowherd strokes them with his antenna, causing them. to secrete juices of nutri- tious quality to ants. The ant's power of accomplish- ing near -miracles without so much as a second's training or instruction is incredible. The termite or white ant, for instance, can quite easily masti- cate concrete and digest wood. .A termite queen, when in full crea- tive flow, lays 2,000 eggs in a night, each one conforming to an intricate hereditary pattern, The nurses are born sterilized, and soldiers with extra -large armour-plated mandibles are pro- duced to defend nests and police the colony. Many appear .to be immune to gas squirted by some insects as part of their defensive apparatus, And each colony provides for a sufficiency of winged males and wingless females —queens -to -be —to continue the race. Wars between ants are almost human in their development from chance incidents. Usually battles begin withjust 0.feev in- Zividuals quarrelling. But soon oombative hosts join In. Before long, the fight is en- tirely out of control, as great numbers of ants pour into the battle, biting off the heads of rival or crushing their bodies against stones and rock walls. But the raids of the blood red slave -maker ants are very differ- ent. These raids are planned strategically. Scouts go out first and 'ascer- tain the position and strength of a colony of wood ants or large black ants, two species most commonly raided for slaves. These raiding ants split up into three or more marching columns, Each takes a separate route to its objective. But, thanks to un- canny planning, all arrive at the same time. Then the assault begins, with the soldier ants leading the at- tack. They burst through the guards, enabling their support groups to follow and help in carrying away prisoners or com- bating resistance pockets. The captives sought are always brood cocoons. Warmish days are favoured for these operations because the coveted cocoons then lie in the upper chambers of an ant hill, a site where they are most accessi- ble for assault parties. These cocoons hatch out in the raiders' city. Their products grow up into slaves and accept their condition without the least resistance. Later on, they even take part In raids on the very cities in which their queen mother lived. So, you see, ants could take over—if they get a chance. The six-year-old asked the druggist for a package of diapers for his baby brother. "Here they are—and no tax on these, yonug man". "We don't use tacks. We use safety pins." ELECTRIC CAR ---Jack Eakins, district manager of the Cen- tral Division of TVA, looks over the Henny Kilowatt, a modified foreign car that runs on electricity It is operated by 12 heavy duty 6 volt batteries and uses one-fourth of a cent's worth of fuel a mile, EARHART "CLUE"—Fred Goerner of San Francisco checks box containing human remains flown from Saipan. Goerner says he believes they may be those of aviatrix Amelia Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, Who disappeared July 2, ;1937, on a flight from New Guinea to Howland Island during a globe -circling attempt, TABLE TALKS Jane The mushroom industry would like to stress the point that mushrooms should never be soak- ed in a pan of water. To clean them, wipe with a damp cloth, or, if necessary, wash quickly un- der a thin stream of water and wipe dry. Mushrooms should never be peeled; in the peel is much of the fine flavor and food value of the vegetable. So long as mushrooms feel dry and firm, they are perfectly fresh. Small brown spots or open- ed caps simply mean they are ripe. Size is a matter of prefer- ence: small and large ones may be exactly the same age and have • no difference in quality. At home, mushrooms should be kept in the refrigerator. Fit them into tall plastic containers, un- covered, and give them plenty of room. They will ordinarily keep a full week. Yes, they can be frozen, too, but not for long storage. Keep- ing them more than a month makes them tough. w w e It is also important never to overcook mushrooms, Ten min- utes is the limit, and even less for fresh or small mushrooms. It you want to use them in a recipe which must cook, say, for 45 minutes, saute or stream the mushrooms and add them during the last ten minutes. • • 0 u Here are a few helpful equiv- alents In weight: when a recipe calls for 1 pound fresh mush- rooms, you can use 20 to 24 of assorted sizes, or a quart meas- ure of whole mushroom caps (measured when raw), or a 6 to 8 ounce can of mushroom caps, e M N Before I came to Dallas, I heard of the black pepper cake that Mrs. Ernest D. Williams of this city makes, I wanted to taste it, and a mutual friend told her when to expect me, so she baked one for me—fresh, warm, and aromatic. It proved to be a spice cake with a little added zing that is difficult to analyze, writes Eleanor Richey Johnston in the Christian Science Monitor. "Where did you get the recipe for such an unusual cake?" is a question often asked her. I asked it too. "I really made up the recipe," she answered. "I used an old family recipe for spice cake as a foundation, then I changed the spices—took a little away from some and added a little to some others and substitutedblack pep- per for others. After 1 baked several, I decided on my present recipe as being the best" a * Mrs. Williams bakes her black pepper cake often because it is a favorite with her family and friends. "I pack three lunches every day for my husband and two daughters—and all of them espe- cially like this cake in their lunches. It is really no trouble to make. I just mix it, pop it in the oven, and go off and do other things while it bakes," she ex- plained. "I cook all my loaf cakes until they loosen from the sides of the pan," Mrs. Williams added with the casualness of the natural cook. The Williams's two daughters, Cheryl and Sara Jean, were lis- tening to our spice cake talk and they both chimed in to say: "T he whole neighborhood knows it when Mother bakes one of her black pepper cakes. You can smell the delicious, spicy cake up and down the street. Neighbors passing sniff and smile and say, 'Another black pepper sake!' " "Tf any of the cake happens to get stale, slice and butter it and put it under the broiler for a few minutes—it's really good eaten that way," Mrs. Williams Called as 1 was leaving. BLACK PEPPER CAKE 2% cups sifted flour 1 teaspoon baking powder a/; teaspoon soda 1/s teaspoon each, salt and cloves 1 teaspoon cinnamon 8/4 teaspoon black pepper We teaspoon, if it's strong) ✓ cup butter s/ cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 eggs 1 cup buttermilk Cream shortening until like • .whipped cream; add brown sugar and stir, then add white sugar and vanilla. Beat until grains of sugar almost disappear. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, pep- per, and spices. Add this to first mixture alternately with butter- milk to which soda has been add- ed, Beat well after each addi- tion. When all is mixed, pour into well -greased and floured pan or pans (it may be baked in layers or in a loaf). Bake at 325°- 350°F. from 45 to 80 minutes or longer if loaf, and 20-30 minutes at 350'-375°F. if layer. G 8 W "The following is a reoipe whioh I think homemakers will enjoy. It was given me by my sister -In-law.' While 1 do not be- lieve it is original with her, I can vouch for the delicious re- sults," writes Allene E. Thorn- burgh, od her carrot cake recipe. CARROT CAKE 11/2 cups salad oil 2 cups sugar 4 eggs 3 cups sifted flour 3 cups finely grated carrots 1/s cup buttermilk 2 teaspoons soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon lemon extract '/2 teaspoon salt Combine salad. oil, sugar, and eggs, adding one at a time and beating until mixture is thick. This may be done with mixer, but remainder of mixing must be done by hand. Add soda and lemon extract to buttermilk. Add baking powder, cinnamon, and salt to 1 cup of flour, Add these mixtures alternately to first mix- ture. Then add alternately re- maining flour and carrots. Turn into greased 10 -inch tube pan and - bake at 250°F. for 11/2 hours. Topping: Combine rh cup each of chopped nuts, undiluted fro- zen orange juice, and sugar. Spread over cake immediately after taking from oven. Let stand in baking pan to cool, Decorate with cherries, if de- sired. • e * "Here is a recipe for a fruit cake which I like very much," writes Mrs, Florence Lumsden, TROPICAL FRUIT CAKE 3 cups whole nutmeats 1/2 cup each, red and green cherries, whole 1 pound dates %i, cup sifted flour d cup sugar i/ teaspoon baking powder % teaspoon salt 3 eggs, beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla Preheat oven to 300° F. Put waxed paper in greased loaf pans. In a large mixing howl, place the whole nuts, whole pitted dates and whole cherries, Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and add to nut - fruit mixture until all fruit is well coated. 'Beat eggs in sepa- rate bowl until frothy; add vanilla, Add to first mixture and mix well—mix last with hands. Pour into loaf pans and bake for 11 hours ar more, Cool before cu tting, DRIVE CAREFULLY — The life you save nay be your own, Top New Story Of The Year When the Associated Press air eulates to all its subscribing newspapers ita yearly list of ma- jor ,stories for l961, asking them to designate which world stories they would put among ° the 10 Most important for this year, it is virtually certain that the breathtakingly dramatic seizure last January of the Portuguese luxury liner Santa Maria will be very close to the top of the list. For this action, taken under the leadership of Capt. Henrique Galvao,' and designed as a world - eye -catching protest against the increasingly disreputable diota- tonship of Antonio Salazar in Portugal, was perhaps the most startling act of its kind since the end of World War II.. Nor was it the last act in the bold Galvao campaign against Salazar. Early in November, and a day or so before the Portuguese were to go to the polls to vote without choice for a hand-picked list of candidates, members of the Galvao movement seized an airliner in the sky above Lisbon, circled the city while the secret police watched in helpless anger, deluged the 'city with anti -Sala- zar leaflets and landed the plane and its passengers safely in Tangiers. Facts on who Captain Galvao is, and why he is such a bitter opponent of dictator Salazar, as well as an almost hour -by -hour account of the Santa Maria af- fair, are provided in the book "Santa Maria: My Crusade for Portugal" by Henrique Galvao, whose interest is only exceeded by its timeliness. Written by Captain Galvao himself, it is a fiery, fiercely felt shout of indig- nation against the man (and the system) who, for some 35 years, has been running Portugal as he saw fit and with little regard for the susceptibilities .of others. Filled with the bitterness and, to the Anglo-Saxon mind, the exag- gerated language which typify the Latin rebel, it is a sobering account of the truly desperate situation from a diplomatic, political, economic, social and (vide Angola) colonial point of view — into which the Salazar overlordship has thrown a NATO ally of the Western world. Well known in Europe as a writer, one-time governor of a portion of Angola, once also a hand-picked Salazar member of the National Assembly, Galvao broke once and for all with the dictator when his fellow Assem- blymen in 1948 refused to heed his tale of the shocking condi- tions prevailing in the Portu- bnese colonies (and which ha 1041. urst forth into gruesome: war- fare). Vor ar-fare):"f'ar his aonrege he spent seven years in jail, :Elardly had he been released than be wgwlq attacked the dletatenkalo anal was sentenced to 16 years rnor0 Escaping in January, 19149, he at. last made his way to Sotith Am- erica, where his planning result ed in the Santa Maria affalr, an adventure which occupies more than half the apace in this book and makes exciting readying. More, much more, will be heard of Captain Galvao in the near future. This book will ex- plain why the dietetorship in Lisbon cannot rapt eaey vrhile he is free and plotting its downfall, Dieting For Good Old SiWash At 344 pounds, Prof. Haig Der Marderosian was a big man on the campus at Emerson College in the Back Bay section of Bos- ton. For lunch in the college cafeteria, the 6 -foot 1 -inch speech teacher regularly put away five or six assorted sandwiches, three' bottles of milk, and a Danish pastry or two. Between classes, Marderosian, who coaches both the wrestling and debating teams, could polish off three or four apples, Now, all this has changed. Earlier this month, Marderosian went on a diet. His object: To lose 100 pounds and earn some $25,000 for the Emerson College Alumni Fund in the process: When we heard that Haig was was going to slim down," ex- plained a college spokesman, "we thought he might as well do or diet for dear old Emerson. We asked students and alumni to pledge up to $1 each for every pound he loses. We got 1,500 'pledges, including one from Mar- dersotan's mother, and another from the company which does the catering for the college cafe- teria. His diet has already cost tiiem $60 in lost business." By last month, Marderosian (now known as "The -Vanishing Armenian" among joshing friends) had trimmed off 32% pounds and was still going strong. "I'm sure I'll make the 100 pounds by the April 30 dead- line," he boasted as he sipped a glass of liquid' diet food. "I've got real personal motivation. I've got a new office—on the fifth floor of a walkup building. Have you aver tried to hoist 344 pounds up five flights?" Junk — what you keep for ten years and throw away a week before you need it. Fashion Hint