The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-10-03
A CURIOUS INDUSTRY.
A Worm Farm Mt Nottingham, England---
How Worms arc Collected and Raised for
the Market.

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When at Nottingham few days ago,
I was much pleased at the discovery of
an entirely new industry, namely, the
rearing and education of worms for the
purposes of anglers. Mr.. Wells, fishing
tackle maker, Of Sussex street, Noting
ham, carries on business and trade in
worms. He has several people in his
employ who collect worms every favora-
BILE night during the year. He. sells the
following kinds of worms, namely, the
lob or dew worm, th" cockspur and the
ring-tailed brandling. In dry weather
worms are scarce; the men have to water
the ground for them. In wet weather
the worms are better and heavier. They
are caught in the meadows and pasture
lands in the neighborhood; the supply
is not failing.
The worms are sold by the thousand
or the quart. In warm, moist night
from two to six thousand worms are
brought in by the collectors. Some peo-
pie can collect worms much better than
others. The worms are very cunning,
and are apt to pop back into their holes
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When the worms are brought in, Mr..
Wells ct once begins his training opera
tions by placing them in properly se-
lected moss. Stag's horn moss will not
do at all, it is too harsh. Grass is bad.
Field moss is the best. The worms are
put into the moss to scour. A fresh
caught worm is very delicate and tender,
and easily breaks up when put on the.
hook. When worm is properly edu-
Gated he is as tough as o bit of india
rubber, AID behaves as worm .shoul
when put on hook. The way to test
worm is to take him up and pass the
finger gently down the length of him. IF
anything comes out Of him he is not fit,
and is put back for further training.
The meaning of this is that the wild
worms contain, more or less, food under
going digestion. When put into the
moss this food disappears. The moss
in some way facilitates this operation,
but cannot quite see how this is, ull-
less the worms disgorge all their former
food, and practically become very little
else than skin.
The keeping of worms depends very
much upon the weather. They will not
keep we'll above week. Mr.. Wells has
q supply of worms ready for his custom
ers all the year round. he goes over
his moss very frequently, picking out
the mauled and mashed worms, and only
sending to market the plump and healthy
ones, which are packed up for market in
moss; tie bags used are of light canvas.
Not only does Mr.. Wells collect worms,
but he also breeds them in considerable
quantities. In his garden is special
heap made of vegetable matter, express
ly for tie purpose of breeding worms. I
shall not, Of course, say. what substance
for worm-breeding is most favorable;
this is a professional secret. Ont turn
ing the heap over where the worms are
bred, it was very interesting to see the
worms in various stages Of growth, Mr..
Wells knows from experience pretty well
what the age of worm is. I had the
pleasure of pointing out to him the eggs
of the worm. These are about three
lines long, and somewhat oval. They
had sort of lid at each end, which
opens when the young are liberated. I
believe that two young are sometimes
produced from the same egg.
The business of worm selling has been
going on some ten years and is gradu-
ally increasing. g.-FTonk Buckta'ad, In
Land and Water. .'....