The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1897-07-29

many parts of England a weight of more
than ten tons of dry earth annually pass
es through their body and is brought to
the surface on each acre of land so that
the whole superficial bed of vegetable
mold passes through their body in the
course Of very few years. From the
collapsing of the old burrows the mold
is in constant though slow movement,
and the PARTICLES composing it are thus
rubbed together. BY these means fresh
surfaces are continually exposed to the
action Of the carbonic acid in the soil,
and of the humus-acids which appear to
be still more efficient i'll the decomposi-
tion of rocks. The generation Of the
humus-acidsis is probably fastened during
the digestion of the many half decayed
leaves which worms consume. Thus the
particles Of earth, forming the superficial
mold, are subjected to conditions e'ui-
nently favorable for their decomposition
and disintegration. Moreover, the par
llClCS VI lllC SplbSl lONhSSullSi 'Shi~
amount Of mechanical trituration i'll the
muscular gizzards of worms, in which
small stones serve as mill-stones
The finely levigated castings, when
brought to the surface in a moist condi-
ton, flow during rainy weather down
any moderate slope; and the smaller
particles are washed far down even a
gently inclined surface. Where the land
is quite Level and is covered with herbage
and where the climate is humid 50 that
much dust cannot be blown away, it ap'
pears at first sight impossible that there
should be any appreciable amount Of
subaerial denudation; but worm castings
are blown, especially while moist and
viscid, in one uniform direction by the
prevalent winds which are accompanied
by rain. By these several means these
superficial molds are prevented from ac-
cumulating to a great thickness; and q
thick bed of mold checks in many ways
the dsintegration of the underlying
rocks and fragments of rock
The removal of worm castings by the
above means leads to results which are
far from insignificant. 1t has been shown
that laver Of earth. 2-hundredths Of an
inch in thickness, is in many places an
nually brought to the surface per acre:
and if small part of this flows, or rolls,
or is washed, even fora short distance
down every inclined surface, or is repea-
tedlv blown in one direction, a great eff
feet will be produced in the course of
ages Il was found by measurements
and calculations that on a surface with a
mean inclination of 9'26' IA cubic inches
Of earth which had been elected by
worms crossed in the course of year, a
horizontal line one yard in length so
that 24o cubic inches would cross a line
a hundred yards in length. This latter
amount in a damp state would weigh
eleven and half pounds Thus a con-
siderable weight Of earth is continually
moving down each side Of every valley,
and will in time reach its bed. Finally,
this earth will be transported by the
streams flowing in the valleys into the
ocean, the great receptacle for all matter
denuded from the land. 1t is known
from the amount Of sediment annually
delivered into the sea by the Mississippi,
that its enormous drainage area must
on an average be lowered. oo263 Of an
inch each year and this would suffice in
four and half million years to lower the
whole drainage area to the level of the
sea shore. So that, if a small fraction of
the layer of fine earth, two hundredths of
an inch in thickness, which is annually
brought to the surface by worms, is car
ried away, a great result cannot fail to
be produced within period which no
geologist considers extremely long,
THEY PRESERVE VALUABLE RUINS,
Archaeologists ought to be grateful to
worms, as they protect and preserve for
an indefinitely long period every object
not liable to decay which is dropped on
the surface of the land, by burying il
beneath their castings. Thus, also,
many elegant and curious tesselated
pavements and other ancient remains
have been preserved; though no doubt
the worms have in these cases beer
largely aided by earth washed and blowr
from tne adjoining land, especially whet
cultivated. The old tesselated pavement
have, however, suffered by having sub
sided unequally from being unequal,
undermined by the worms. Even ole
massive walls may be undermined ano
subside, and no building i'll this respec
safe, unless the foundations lie six o
seven feet beneath the surface, at dept
at which worms can not work. 1t is pro
bable that many monoliths and some ol
walls have fallen down from having bee
undermined by worms,
THEY PREPARE THE GROUND FOR SEEI
Worms prepare the ground in an eS
cellent manner for the growth of fibrou'
rooted plants and for seedlings Of a
kinds. They periodically expose tn
mold to the air, and sift it so that Il
stones no larger that the particles whic
they can swallow are left in IT, The
mingle the whole intimately togethe
like a gardener who prepares fine so
for his choicest plants. In this state
is we'll fitted to retain moisture and