356 THE BOOK OF A NATURALIST 



something new to note: it looked as if the worms 

 inhabiting the quartered-off ground had suddenly 

 developed a wonderful vigour and activity, or as 

 if a rush of worms from all over the lawn to that 

 favoured spot had taken place. The ground was 

 thickly sprinkled over with castings, mostly under 

 the herbage, although after a careful search I could 

 not find a single casting anywhere else on the lawn. 

 It was evident that the worms had been taking the 

 leaves into their runs and feeding greedily on them, 

 and I confidently expected that the result would 

 be that in a little while the turf on the marked 

 strip of ground would be thicker, greener, more 

 elastic to the tread. Unfortunately I was obliged 

 to leave the place when the experiment was just 

 at its beginning, so that nothing was proved; and 

 I hope that some reader of this paper, who possesses 

 a lawn, or is about to form one, will carry the 

 matter further and try to find out whether or not 

 a better result may be had by encouraging the 

 earthworms to work with and for us instead of 

 regarding them as enemies and trying to suppress 

 them. 



