The writer was an instructor with the Department of Horticulture Science. This column is provided an an extension service by the Division of Extension and Community Relations and the Department of Horticulture Science, University of Saskatchewan. It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world, as have these lowly organized creatures.
Earthworms feed on partly decomposed organic material, which they pull down into the soil.
In many countries, plant material is left on the soil surface for the earthworms as part of recommended agricultural practice. On the prairies, relatively little decomposition of organic matter takes place on the soil surface because of our dry conditions. This is one of the reasons why thatch tends to build up on our lawns. Recycling of organic material is much faster in areas of higher rainfall. Habitat Earthworms are generally found in the top few centimetres of the soil.