The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1877-12-20
CURIOUS FACTS ABOUT WORMS.
How the Fertility OF the Ground is In
creased by Them

From observations extending over I
number of years, NJ. Hensen is led to the
conclusion that infertile undersoil is rem
dered valuable by the action of worms in
two ways-viB., by the opening of pas
sages for the roots into the deeper parts,
and by the lining of these passages with
/ humus. This will be more easily under
/ stood from the following facts regarding
| the life habits of the worm (Latm6ricue
| teTreStris) given in NJ. Hensen's paper in
! the "Zeitschrift fur wissenschaftliche
| Geologic"
It Is known that the adult animals in
wet weather come up to the surface by
night, and, with their hinder end in their
tube, search the ground round about
| They then draw whatever vegetable ma
teriaI they can find into their tubes
fallen stems and leaves and small .
branches. In the morning one then finds
little heaps of plant-fragments projecting .
at various parts of the surface, and each |
of them penetrating the tube of a worm. !
On closer examination 1t is found that /
the leaves have each been rolled together |
by the worm, and then drawn into the |
tube in such a way that the leat-stalk
projects. The portion of the leaf in the
tube is moist and sOftened, and only III
this state are plants consumed by the
worm. There are distinct indications that
the worm gnaws them, and after some
, days the meal is ended. The food is
, never drawn deeper down into the
ground. Indigging the ground at various
J seasons it was only very rarely that plant
T remains were found in the subsoil, and
probably they got there by accident.
= With reference to the structure of the
= worm Tubes, some interesting facts were
J established in these researches. In hu-
T mus, their character is difficult to make
out, ewing to the lOOseness of the mass.
+ In sand, they proceed almost vertically
g downward, three, our, or even six feet,
whereupon they often extend some dis
i tance horizontally; more frequently,
however, they terminate without bend
l. ing. At the end of the tube the VIOLIN is
t found with his head upward, while round
IS about him the tube is lined with small
1 stones. On the sandy wall of the tube
2 one observes more or less numerous black
s otuberanCes, which make the sand fer
tile. These are the secretiOns of the
worm, which, after being removed out Of
a tenauted tube, are found next morning
replaced by fresh matter. They are OBJ
q served, after a few days, when worm is
q put in. vessel with clean sand, and al
Il lowed to make q tube for itself. Older
q abandoned tubes are pretty regularly
"a lined with the earth formed by the worm,
: and some passages are densely filled with
. black earth The black substance ap-
ir pears to diffuse somewhat into the sand.
I In about half of the tubes, not quite
~ newly made, Mr.. Hensen found roots of
II the plants growing at the surface, in the
W most vigorous development, running to
" the end of the tube, and giving off fine
At rOot-hairs to the walls, especially beauti-
w Jul in the case OF leafy vegetables and
= 4,,ID -
I favorable to the growth of the roots
% Once a root fibre has reached such q
at tube, it can, following the direction Of
no gravity, grow on in the moist air of the
I passage, without meeting with the least
a | resistance, and it finds moist, loose, fer
al tile earth in abundance.
7 The question whether all roots fOunC
~, in the undersOil have originally grown il
Ia the tubes of worms, cannot be answered
w with certainty. 1t is certain that tn,
m roots of some plants penetrate themselVe
.er in the sand, but not to great depths. NJ
bo Hensen is of the opinion that the tai
of roots and in general such rOot-forms q
nd grow with a thick point, can force pat
va for themselves, while the fine and fexibl
no suction roots have difficulty in ebtainiu
w a path into the depths other than wha
at has been previously made for them. Root
It- of one years growth especially can per
mi citrate deep into the sUbsOil, only wheT
10 there are earth worms.
he a micTOscopical comparison of tn
al earth deposited by the worm, shows tina
ed it is like the twO-year leaf mould pre-
ed pared by gardeners for the filling OF fOwe
If pots. Most of the plant cells are d.
mt strOyed still there are present some eel
led and shreds of tissue, Drowned and friablt
his mixed with many sand grains and brow
mt organic fragments. The chemical con
.ss position of the wOrm-earth shows niue
he similarity to that of fertile humU
inc ground. It's fertility, therefore, cannC
nv be doubled, though direct experiment
nv with it are wanting.
wo With regard to the numerical value
the this action of the earth>worm, the follow
ay- ing OBJ ervatiOns by NJ. Hensen afFor
at some information:
NV Two worms were put into q glass TX
her II foot in diameter, which was file
q with sand to the height OF | J foot, an
hot the surface covered with a layer of falle
the leaves The worms were quickly
II work, and after J month many leav
ovs were down inches deep into the tltrfE
cen the surface was completely covered wit
cnt humus l en-. in height, and in the san
the were numerous wOIm-tUbes partly fres
the partly with a hUmus wall 8 en-. thiC
sIso partly quite filled with humus.
aat Counting Wn6n an opportunity OH6Te
to the open wOrm-tubes in his garden,
on Hensen found at least nine in the squa
.ow foot. In 0.l5 square metres two or thr
nav worms were found In the deeper part
h I each weighing three grammes-thus
do the hectare there would be 133, O(
worms with 400 kilos. weight. TT
weight of the seCretiOns of worm
twenty-four hours was 0 3 gramme
While these numbers are valid only f
the locality referred to, they yet give {
na' idea Of the action of this worm in 8
arr places where it occurs.
use The assertion that the earth-wOrT
10y, gnaw roots is not proved by any fact
pIIs roots gnawed by worms were never m
gCs, with, and the contents of the intestil
naC of the worms never included fresh pieC
any of plants. The experience of gardene
neI3 that the earth worm Injuries pot plan
anu NAV be based on the uncovering
.a an! mechanical tearing Ofthe roots.
iGir Let us take a retrospective glance
De concludes the author, cover the actit
Ogs' of the worm in relation to the fertility
'ogS the ground. 1t is clear that no ne
'he manure material can be produced by
: oI but if utilities that which is present
10 various ways. l. 1t tends to effect
ges' regular distribution of the natural N
us nure material of fields, inasmuch as
MAJ removes leaves and loose plants from t
'Uie- force Of the wind and fixes them. ,.
1he, accelerates the transformation of tn
reat material. 8. It distributes it thrOui
was the ground. f. 1t opens up the Undt
It. soST fOr tho Tla0t roots : It ma