The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1878-01-03
Curious Facts About Worms.

From observations extending over a
number of years, NJ. Hensen is led to
the conclusion that infertile undersoil
is rendered valuable by the action Of
worms in two ways-viz., by the
opening of passages for the roots
into the deeper parts, and by the lining
of these passages with humus. This
will be more fully understood from the
following facts regarding the life-haHts
of the worm (Lumbricue terrestrisj
given in M. Hensen's paper in the
Zettschr.ft FIR ,Oissensclsattliche Zoologie.
1t is known that the adult animals in
wet weather come up to the surface by
night, and, with their hinder end in thei1
tube, search the ground round about.
They then draw whatever vegetable ma
terial 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 sur
face, and each of them penetrating the
tube of q worm. On closer examina-
ton it 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 leaf-stalk projects. The
portion of the leaf in the tube is moist
and softened, and only in 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 in the ground. In
digging the ground at various seasons
it was only very rarely that plant re-
mains 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
established in these researches. In hu-
mus their character is difficult to make
out, owing to the looseness of the mass.
In sand they proceed almost vertically
downward. three, four, or even six feet,
whereupoh they often extend some dis
lance horizontally; more frequently,
however, they terminate without bend
ing. At the end of the tube the worm
is found, with its head upward, while
round about him the tube is lined with
small stones. On the sandy wall of the
tube one observes more or less numer-
Gus black protuberances, which make
the sand fertile. These are the secre-
tions of the worm, which, after being
removed out of tenanted tube, are
found, next morning, replaced by fresh
matter. They are observed, after few
days, when a worm is put in a vessel
with clean sand, and allowed to make a
tube for itself. Older, abandoned tubes,
are pretty regularly lined with the earth
formed by the worm, and some passages
are densely filed with black earth. The
black substance appears to diffuse some
Whist into the sand
In about half of the tubes, not quite
newly made, NJ. Hensen found roots Of
the plants growing at the surface, in
the most vigorous development, rum
ming to the end of the tube and giving
on line root-hairs to the walls, especial.
~ beautiful in the case of leafy vegeta-
bles and corn. Indeed, such tubes must
be very favorable to the growth of roots.
Once root-fber has reached such q
tube it can, following the direction of
gravity, grow ON in the moist air of the
passage, without meeting with the least
resistance, and it finds moist, loose, fer
tile earth in abundance.
The question whether all roots found
in the undersoil have originally grown
in the tubes Of worms cannot Be an
swered with certainty. 1t is certain
that the roots of some plants penetrate
in the sand, butnot to great
depths. N. Hensen is Of the opinion
that the tap-roots, and in general such
root-forms - grow with . thick point
can force psth for themselves, while
he fIue and flexible suction-roots have