The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-02-06
uayS Ofthe EarthuOrm

Earth-worms have a reason for being
ever so much more important than to
serve as bait for fishermen. For IN all
their lowly estate, few creatures have
done more for mankind. Earth-worms
are not merely the original plowmen-they
have brought about the condition OF the
earth's surface that makes other plowing
possible and profitable.
Field crops. for the most part. grow and
feed upon vegetable mold-the layer Of
warm. light. bracldsh earth resting upon
the subsoii Save by grace Of the earth
worm vegetable mold would exist only IN
those places where dead leaves and de-
caying growths generally resolved them
selves into their original clements. The
earth-worm. which may be described as
an embodied appetite, eats everything
animal matter. green leaves and dead
ones tuigs. leaf stalks. small stones ana
earth. The residium Of all he casts up
| on the surface az the rate. throughout
pastures and garden ground Of some ten
tons a year. Continue the process q hun
I dred years. or even fifty and many inches
I OF fne friable, productive soil result.
Beyond all that their burrows let down
light and air from the subsoil Some
times the burrows run six feet deep In
winter the worms hibernate IN roundish
chambers At the bottom. The chambers
are lined with very small stones or hard.
rounded seed. A dozen worms sleep to-
gether. knotted into a squirming ball.
II X only in the winter sleep that they
are thus gregarious. Al other times they
go in pairs. Though they do not in cap
tivlty appear very sensible OF either cold
or heat. In hot, dry weather they go al
most as far down as they do In winter
Eyeless. they have yet a certain percep-
tion Of light retreatins before Il 10 their
burrows. Vibration also affects them
hence. say the country folk the wood
cocks habit Of drumming TO call them out
OF the ground Their sense Of smell Is
acute, and by the help OF Il they ind
their food, either buried or lying upon The
surface. As soon as II Is found the worma
drag II to the burrow. They burrow ex-
Z plains the st. Louis Giobe-D Democrat. by
pressure Of their smooth-ringed bodies
and by literally eating out the earth
ahead. The digestive apparatus includes
a crop and gizzard. ike those Of birds
After the manner OF birds. the glzzards
are kept supplied with small stones 70
serve as mirstones In grinding down the
( food
The burrows are plastered all around
with the finely chewed earth and kept
shape often long after they are untenant-
ed From the dead leaves which make 20
( large q part Of their food the worms Sc
crete humus acids. which attack and help
to dissolve the rocks buried In the soil.
/ Thus the earthworms not merely trans
form the soil chemically and mechanical
I " but add to the bulk Of it--since soil Of
every kind comes from the disintegration
Of rocks Further many leaves dragged
down into the burrows are only partly
eaten, and. decaying. furnish gases which
permeate the soil and react upon It's min
eral element.
Earihworms are the best allies Of those
gentlemen. The antIquarles. A coin. an
arrow head. a spear point, an Inscribed
slab, tesselated pavement they bury. sure-
iy, safely. 70 await the day Of resurTec-
tion. The buryIng Is done in two ways-by
castings spread above the thing TO be
buried. and by undermining the soil be-
Meath Earth honeyeombed with burrows
sinks in times Of heavy rain or frost,
Thus. In course Of a thousand years. an
object may be many feet under the sur
face. yet remain exactly as Il fell In
deed. the wise men declare the earth
worms. Ia the mass. keep the whole face
Of the planet IN a state Of gradual eveiu-
tom