Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-07-14
Are Probably The Unheeded
And DeSpIsed Earth.
worms.
JUST WHAT THEY DO
l. shown in an Interesting lesson IN
Nature Work at the state
University

Some Of the coil samples gathered by
the children Ar the university training
school were exhibited to-day before the
class Zoo nature study conducted 10y
Prof n. Cummings These samples
disclosed goo perfectly clear manner
the actual nature " the average soil.
WHAT SOIL Us LIKE.
The top layer was usually more or
less dark. in the case OF yoy r.ch soils
approaching black. This color being due
,o the presence OF organic matter,
chiefly veg table mold. and made up
mostly of leaves. 4 few Inches lowe.
the soil is usually "a light brown. .n cole
or. ard deeper a yellow to.uIDi sou. .e
frequently encountered. Then comes
sand. ned or white. then gravel taeu
cement. 0r clay. or some sort OF SUD-
stratum more or less imnoryiouS Co wac
ter Large stones usually De beneath.
rometimes coming t0 the surface 1i
the SOIL When stones are found scat
tered over the valley. b. b. because they
have been carried There boy floods.
W tkN or 7 III N = A In
Tho transporting power Of water that
is t- ability tu carry heavy objects.
Be- rather remarkably increased a times
by merely doubling the velocity of the
current This surprising difference n
the carrying power Of swift and SLOW
streams 1r floods accounts for the prcs-
enc, OF large bOuliers strcVu over amy
field over which even small food has
swept The advantage of deep plow-
ing tsuhsoIurl is that 20 brings nap the
new s1U deeply charged with mineral
matter that has not been used zap h}
the roots of plants, which usually
spread through the surface soil.
What becomes of the disIntegratoi
s80r The water runs fiom the mouu-
tain side to the stream. and the stream
flows into the valley ending Us course
An lake or river. I'm times ~ freshets
and floods the soil is carried over the
surface NJ the earth further and fur
| Their from TIE mountain side into tho
valley But the clear water Is likewise
carving sediment in suspension, ana
rs continually deposlting sofia sub
stances upon the land over which Il
/ flows and ovaporates These ohserya-
/ tions become the basis FOR the lessons
ON the work Of the great rivers in the
! formation OF dcltas.
HOW SOIL Is CARRIED
Humus acids are IN part formed by
! the digestion Of the half decayc1
! leaves which worms consume. Parti-
/ Giles OF softer rock are ground in the
] muscular giazaris OF worms On which
] small stones serve as millstones The
| worm castings are carried over the
| surface ground by rain and wind. and
the superficial mold IS thus prevented
| from accommodating IN any one place. In
many places. The worms bring a layer
of earth ono-ffth Of an inch in thick
| ness % the surface 81 some acres in .
| single SO. This Is carried down ever
valley. ana finally 20 the ocean or lake
| The Mississippi lowers the soil surface
of its enormous drainage area two and
a haN thousandths % an inch per year
and carries this soil into the gulf, III
{ 500. 600 years. 70 should carry, at this
rate. an the soil ~ is drainage area
into the sea. This shows that the
work NJ the earthworm IN moist coun-
tries Is comparable 10 the work ~ a
mighty agency like the Mississippi rIy-
or.