The Red Cloud chief., 1901-09-06
AN EARTHWORM'S VALUE
UP THE SOIL AND THUS
HELPS VEGETATION ALONG.
Boys Think 10 IL Created For the rartic
ninr Purpose of Halt. Hut There Arr
other tscs-Plsy nm important Far
IN the Worlds History.

~ the Worlds History.
After n spring rain hundreds OF
carthwOrms crawl across The pave
ments and through the lawn grass.
Then they are most conspicuous, hut.
they may he found any time by dig
Sing into the ground. They are ma
lures lowlicst gardeners. and perform
q tremendous amount of work IN the
world. Boys think them created for
the particular purposes of bait. II
was owing 20 u boys forgotten jar of
sguirming worms that his family he
came Interested In the creatures, and
the boy himself says that he now feels
like taking off his hat to every earth
worm that wrigglcs out Of his way.
a two-quart glass fruit jar was
nearly filed with carthwOrms and
earth from the back yard. The earth
vas there TO keep the worms comfort
able until fishing time. Company
came into the household. however,
and the boy was not permitted to 20
fishing. and az the cook was preparing
vegetables for dinner he threw onion
chips n scraps of cabbage into The
receptacle as food for the worms.
They did not appear distressed about
their captivity, and began TO make
themselves nt home IN their new sur
rOnndings. Both cabbage and onion
were devourcd, and the long Shiny
creatures set about making burrows
which could bc quite plainly traced
through the glass.
When the boy took the jar on his
worm hunt ii contained about two
inches OF white sand belonging TO the
canary birds. lie had neglected to
throw this away. and black mold and
worms We're placed on top. The cook
set the jar on the window sill among
her plants, and. NJ a matter of convc-
nlencc, put dried leaves and twigs
from the flower pots into 1t. The
worms set to work to keep their small
domain IN order. Burrows ran from
top to bottom. The white sand from
the bottom vcined the soil to the sur
face. Twigs and leaves were gnawed
into pieces and dragged to the depths.
Some small chicken bones thrown to
the WORMS werr buried.
A month passed before the boy was
Invited to 90 fishing. and by that time
he could not be induced 10 part with
his jar of industrious workers. Hc
watched others in the garden. sat
down beside their burrows at the edge
Of the park walks and made up his
mind that they were too useful to kill.
Something else must be found for fish
bait. His grandfather tried q con
vince him that serving as fish bait may
have been II or the uses for which
these worms were created, but the boy
decided differently.
Even superficial study proves that
worms have played an important part
In the worlds history. They turn over
the entire surface of vegetable mold
On the earth every few years. Their
burrows are made in two ways, either
by %tunnellng and pressing the earth
close to the sides OF the tunnel or 10y
swallowing the earth, literally eating
their way downward. sometimes to u
depth of eight feet. They dcvour the
earth for the food il contains. casting
of the sandy particles upon the sur
face.
Farmers themselves are unaware of
the aid given them by earthworms,
which keep the SOL in constant move
mcnt. Half-decayed leaves are di-
Scsted by them or are dragged into
their burrows below the surface In
great quantities. Different strata Of
soil several feet down are carried up
ward. Old burrows are constantly
the earth tx slftcd and exposed TO the
action OF the air.
Bones of animals, dead insects. shells
of land mOllusks, leaves and twigs are
buried beneath the castings. They
prepare the ground for the growth of
fibrous.rOOtcd- plants und for seedlings
Of All kinds by their method of gar
dcnlng. Darwin Il y that the earth
was plowed ny them long before the
plow was invented by man.
Though the lowllest order of AMI.
mails and poorly provided with sense
organs, they arc able TO distinguish
between light ana darkness, are deaf,
but have n feeble sense of smell: are
sensitive 10 heat and cold and yibra-
lions, and show q degree of taste by
selecting favoritc kinds, of leaves for
food and rejecting others.
About the mouths OF their tunnels
or burrows they heap little piles OF
Tiny stones. A hoy scattered the
stones 10 a shori distance and was In
terested TO see the worms crawl cut
and carry them back. one by enc.
They enjoy lying near the surface. and
owing Ia this pleasure robins and
other birds acquainted with the It'll,
heap OF stones or the leaf-plugged en-
frances know just where to plung,
their bills into the ground 10 null M
a fat. ~wriggling worm. Thousands al
earthworms meet their death in this
way.
Their industry IL not confined (.
turning owe the soil and benef.. int
the farmer. Some OF the ancient mon
oliths that have been ovcgthrown wer,
probably undermined by worm.s. E::
tcnsivc ruins have ben buried h,
1 m nj IA xsnt.pnc ,.t,lar,..t ns,,. a.. s.-n.