Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-10-19
EARTHW0RM'S SALIENT WORK
Not Only Improving Texture OF Soil,
But Making Available Plant Food.

That the work done by the earthworm
Is very important has como TO be reeog-
nized by all close observers OF nature.
Darwin was perhaps the first to publish
accurate Investigations concerning the
work Of this humble animal Since Oar
wins time great deal OF attention has
been paid 70 the earthworm, and Il has
become OF greater and greater interest
10 the farmer. During thus time the dis
coEely mas been made that nitrogen IS
being supplied to the earth In various
ways and that the world Is really not
IN danger Of exhausting Its supplies Of
TINS element. IL has been learned that
potash exists In very great quantities in
the lower layers Of the soil. The ques.
ton OF PHOSPHORUS, however, Is one that
has remained unsJlved from eenerau- n
70 generation. The quantity seems to be
limited, and much Of that known to be-
IN the soil Is locked up away from the
use OF plants In an insoluble form.
Investigators have been puzzling their
heads to find out the manner by which
much Of the PHOSPHORUS becomes chang
ed In form, 50 that the plant may take
II into It's circulation and employ 1t in
the building UP OF its tissues. The cues
ton has been at least partly res lived
by the discovery that the earihworm h as
an important part In keeping up the sup.
ply OF available PHOSPHORUS. $ ne
Of experiments and have obtained M
Important results. In one set of tests
alternate layers OF different kinds OF SOL
We're placed In boxes having enc side
glass for purposes OF observation. In
these layers earthworms were placed the
soil being kept IN a suitable condition Of
moisture, so that the worms worked as
naturally as they would In the open
ground. The experiments lasted a year.
at the beginning and end OF which time
frHlV al "a HaN. .fts.a ~
suits. A check test was made by provid-
Ing other boxes OF soil Identical IN every
respect, except that no earthwoTms were
placed In these.
In the soils worked over by the worms
the soluble phosphoric acid was found IN
all cases 10 be greater than IN those not
worked by the worms Here We have a
discovery OF no small Importance. II
seems to show cOnclusively that the
earthworm In passing the earth through
It's body-this worm feeds upon earth
uses some kind Of an acid thereon which
renders the PHOSPHORUS Of the soil thus
affected soluble. Important as is the
work Of the earthworm In other ways
this Is probably the greatest work done
by IT, 1t does a valuable work in carry.
Ing the humus from the surface Of the
soil into the depths below; also in carry
ing down lime.
In the experiments referred to It was
found that the lime which was at the
beginning In the surface layers OF the soil
was, In the end more In the subsoll, and
that the Increase OF lime was gradual
from the surface down. II was also d r.
covered that the nitrogen content OF the
soil was more evenly distributed through
the soil at the end OF the experiment than
al the beginning. This, OF course, Is due
to the fact that the humus Of the upper
soil Is carried downward by the earth
worm.
Thus. without the work Of the earth
worm all the humus that has accumu-
lated through the centuries by the decay
of plant and animal life on the surface
OF the ground would never have been so
well mixed with the soil When one takes
into account the long ages IN which the
earthworms have been at work an idea Is
obtained OF the great part they have
had In the preparation OF the earth for
the use OF man. Here Is an example II
the apparently Insignificant agencies
which have had so much to do in max
ing the world habitable.- -Buenos Ayres
Herald.