Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 September 1882 — How Elephants Multiply. [ARTICLE]

How Elephants Multiply.

The elephants are, of all known animals, the slowest to increase ia numbers. At the earliest the female elephant does not become a paient until the age of 30 years, and only six young are capable of being produced during t ie parental period, which appears to cease at 90 years of age, the average duration of elephant life being presumed to be about 100 years. But it is most interesting, as well as important, in view of any speculation on the increase of species and on the question of competition among the races of animal life, to reflect that, given favorable conditions of existence, such as a sufficiency of food, a freedom from disease and from the attack of enemies, the elephant race, slow of inciease as it is, would come in a few years to stock the entire world with its huge representatives. On the data afforded by the foregoing details of the age at which these animals produce young and of their parental period, it is easy to calculate that in from 740 to 750 years 19,000,000 elephants would remain to represent a natural population. If such a contingency awaits even a slowlyincreasing race, such as the elephants unquestionably are, the powerful nature of the adverse conditions which have ousted their kith and kin from a place among living quadrupeds can readily be conceived.— Popular Science Monthly. The success of St. Jacobs Oil throughout the civilized world is without a parallel. —Richmond (Fa.) Southern Planter and Farmer.