Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1877-10-19
ANGLE WORN CULTURE.
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A singular IndEsisy-How Worms are
Nratned,
When at Nottingham, a isw dags AGO
! was much pleased at the discovery oi
an entirely new industry-uamely, the
rearing and educating Of worms for the
purposes Of anglers. Mr. Wells, fishing
tackle maker, Vf Sussex street, Noting.
BAN, carries on q business and trade IN
worms. He has several people in his
employ who collect worms every favor.
able night during the year He sells the
following kinda Of WbfmE-naihkly, leb
or dew worm, the cockspuT, and the ring
tailed branding. In dry weather worms
are very scarce, the Inen have 70 water
the ground for them. In wet weather
the worms are better and heavier They
are eauFht III the ihead6Ws 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
1000 to 5000 Wgrms are brought IN by
the collectors Some people can collect
worms much better than others. The
worms are very cunning, and are apt TO
pop back into their holes if the person
treads heavily.
When the worms are brought in Mr..
Wells at once begins his training opera
tons, by placing them in properly se-
lected moss. Stays 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 soour. A fresh
caught worm is very delicate and tender,
and easily breaks up when put on the
hook, t
When a worm Is properly educated he
is as tough as bit of india-rubber and
behaves as a worm should when put on a
hook. The wR7 to test worm Is to take
bin 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 undergoing digestion. When
put into the moss this food disappears
The moss in some way facilitates this
operation, but I cahnot Quite Gee how
this is, unless the worms disgOrge all
their former food, and practically be-
come very little else than skin.
The keeping of worms depends very
much upoii the Weathef. They will not
keep well above week. Mr.. Wells has
supply Of worms ready fol his custom
ers all the year round. He goes over his
moss very frequently, picking out the
mangled and mashed worms, and only
sending to market the pluhp and healthy
ones, which are packed up for market in
moss. The bags used are of light canvas.
Not only does Mr.. Wells cOllectworms,
but he also breeds them in considerable
quantities. In his garden Is a special
heap made of vegetable matter, expressly
for the purpose of breeding worms. l
shall not, of course, say what substance
for worm breeding is most favorable I;
this is a professional secret. On turning
the heap over where the worms are bred,
it was really very interesting to see the
worms in the various stages of growth.
Mr.. Wells knows from experience pretty
well what the age of worm is ! had
the pleasure of pointing out 10 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. 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 gradually
increasing.-Frank auckland ~ Land
and Water.