Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-05-07
Earth-Worm Damages.

The noted naturalist and keen obser-
yer, Charles Darwin. wrote and pub
lished a book about earth-worms, or
angleworlns, as they are generally
called in this country. In this book he
took the ground, and tried to prove,
that earth-worlns are of special benefit
to farmers and to mankind generally +,
by their habits of boring through the
surface of the soil, consuming the
organic or vegetable matters, and de-
posting their castings or weddings on
the surface. Mr.. Darwin shows that
the depth of the soil is increased in
this way, by the constant deposition OF
fecal matter and bits OF soil on the sur
face. This is true on some soils and IN
some localities, and probably the locality
of Mr.. DarWin's home was of this char
acter. On different soils, however, the
work of the earth-worm Is detrimental
to the character of the soil, even if adj
ditions are made to the surface, if lett
undisturbed by the pillow for many
years.
We have in mind the garden of our
boyhood, wherein the work Of these
busy animals was productive Of much
additional labor to those who had to
cultivate and hoe the crops grown there.
The soil was clayey loan, rather
ter a spell of wet weather would bake
into clods almost as hard as bricks.
The earthworms boring for food In the
rich soil, which is their usual habitat,
honeycombed the soil to the depth OF
several inches whenever the ground
was moist enough to permit the opera
ton. II it rained very hard the water
would drive them from their holes to
the surface, over which they made
shiny, smooth trails in every direction,
always at night, as is their habit. Three
or four days of hot sunshine would
bake this soil hard, efectually putting
q stop to the growth Of the crops. Var1-
GUS remedies we're tried, and We finally
succeeded in minimizing the damage by
hauling several inches deep of fine
sharp gravel into the garden. When
this was plowed and cultivated we'll in
to the soil, it kept the ground loose, go
that the worms could not make smooth,
slippery holes and trails when the
ground was wet.
Peter Henderson, the well-known
hortiC ultural authority, regards angle
| worms as very injurious to plants. tie
advises the use of lime water to drive
them from garden frames and flower
pots. He asserts that they damage the
roots of plants, and that their castings
are poisonous to some plants. AS far as
we could see, We never perceived any
injury in the garden, except to the soil,
and through that to the plants. Mr..
Henderson, however, grows plants OF
all sorts by the millions, and is seldom
| mistaken in his observations, SO that it
is safe to say that earth worms are IN
many respects positive injury to the
farmer and gardener, Char les Darwin,
to the contrary, Notwithstanding. One
of the best ways to prevent injury from
this cause, in large fields and gardens, is
to grow crop Of clover, and pillow it
down when fully grown. This fills I'll e
soil with vegetable matter, or pumus,
upon which these worms subsist, and
makes it 50 loose that the worms cannot
| pack it. A crop of buckwheat plowed
in would probably have similar effect.
In addition, if an application of fine,
air-slaked lime is made to the surface,
| which practice has been found bene-
fetal by many farmers, for the manuri
al effect, there would be far less trouble
from the worms. Earth-worms dislike
| lime very much, and it plants in pots
are Watered with lime water, or the sur.
face is covered with fine lime, the
worms will leave, or die. This is the
best remedy known where earth-Eorms
GET into flOWer-pOts.