Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 September 1884 — A Social Insect. [ARTICLE]

A Social Insect.

Corruptio optimi pessima. Even teetotalism in the wrong place may do evil. There are certain teetotal insects in Assam who get themselves greatly disliked. The “tea-mite” has a reprehensible habit of making his nest on the tea leaves, of boring holes in the skin of the leaf, and then pumping out the liquor. The tea-nlite, as would Serhaps be expected, is a social insect. [is tea-parties are family parties; and there are sometimes a good many families at tea on an Assam plantation. The result is wholly discouraging to the Assam planter, tvlio has been known—strange irony of fate!—to take to drink owing to the excessive fondness of the tea-mite for the leaf which inebriates not The “tea-bug” is a beast of the same character; but he is described as even more destructive. He is, however, a tea-drinker of discriminating taste. He likes his tea weak, and will not touch the trees which afford a strong and rasping liquor. But as there are many valuable trees which yield a mild juice, suited to the taste of nervous persons and tea-bugs, the judicious insect is not regarded with respect in the tea plantations of Assam.— St. James' Gazette.