TO PRESERVE WORMS, 303 



To preserve a stock of Worms all the ijear. 



Take about a pound of mutton-suet, chopped into 

 small pieces, and put it into a saucepan, containing 

 about a quart of water 3 let it boil slowly, until the 

 suet is dissolved, and then, into this liquor, dip some 

 pieces of coarse hempen sacking, or cloth, such as 

 is called coarse wrapper by the linen-drapers, or old, 

 coarse, worn-out towels, or old nets and coarse nail 

 bags, (though the new cloth is best, if very coarse, and, 

 before it is used, it be well washed to free it from the 

 oil or dressing which may adhere to it from the loom ; ) 

 when the cloths are well saturated with the fat liquor, 

 and are become cold, then mix some fresh mould with 

 them, and put the whole into a deep earthen vessel or 

 small tub ; into this, pour a good stock of marsh, or 

 red worms, and over the top tie a cloth to prevent their 

 escaping, and in which there should be a few very 

 small holes to admit air. If the vessel be placed in a 

 cool dark cellar, the worms will feed and cleanse 

 themselves, and keep lively and fit for use, for many 

 months. It is advisable to keep the different species 

 of worms in separate vessels, so that the Angler can, 

 at any time, select the sort and quantity necessary, 

 to be placed in moss, preparatory to his using them. 



During the time your worms are in pans or tubs, it 

 will be proper, when the earth they are among gets 

 very dry at the top, to place those vessels, for a few 

 minutes, in a gentle shower of rain, or to dip your 

 hand in water, and sprinkle some on it ; but soft rain 

 refreshes worms amazingly, and is, therefore, to be 



