WITH REFERENCE TO HORTICULTURE. 95 



of fresh food. Worms are particularly injurious to plants in pots ; as, from 

 the small space to which the roots are confined, they are continually liable 

 to be torn asunder by the worms passing through the earth ; and thus the 

 mass of roots frequently falls in two when the plant is turned out of the pot, 

 instead of remaining in a solid ball. When this is the case, the plant has 

 generally become sickly ; as, from the spongioles at the extremity of the 

 roots being torn off, the plant is unable to obtain its proper food. The ex- 

 crement of the worm is never voided except on the surface of the ground, 

 and it is so placed as to form a covering to the hole by which it retreats 

 into the interior of the soil. At certain seasons of the year, more particu- 

 larly when the weather and the surface of the ground are dry, the slimy 

 matter of the worm adheres to leaves, straws, and other light substances, 

 which it drags after it to the orifice of its holes ; where, on entering, it 

 leaves them so as to stop up the passage as effectually as worm' casts. We 

 are uncertain how far this mode of stopping the orifice of the passages is 

 matter of accident or of design ; and therefore, like many other points of the 

 natural history of the worm, it is open to observation and correction. 



292. The most remarkable property in the organization and functions of 

 the worm is that of reproducing a part of its body after being mutilated. It 

 is generally believed that when a worm is cut into pieces by the spade every 

 portion of it becomes a perfect individual ; but it has been proved that it is 

 only the portion which has the head and the organs of generation attached, 

 and which must necessarily include more than one-half of its length ; which 

 lengthens, survives, and forms a new anus. (Hose.) The duration of the 

 life of worms is uncertain. 



293. The natural uses of the worm appear to be to serve as nourish- 

 ment to moles, hedgehogs, frogs, toads, snakes, lizards, birds, fishes, and 

 some kinds of insects. It is also said by naturalists that worms are useful 

 to plants by penetrating the soil, loosening it, rendering it permeable to 

 air and water, and even adding to the depth of the soil by bringing up its 

 worm-casts to the surface. This last opinion, however, we conceive to be 

 entirely erroneous. Soil is not loosened by boring through it, but rather 

 rendered firmer in the parts not bored through ; and so far from surface 

 soil being rendered permeable by water in consequence of the bores of worms, 

 it is rendered less so, the worm-casts deposited on the orifices of the bores 

 always being water-tight ; so much so, indeed, that when lawns where worms 

 abound are to be watered by lime-water in order to destroy them, the first 

 step is to brush away the worm-casts with a long flexible rod, or remove 

 them by a rake, in order to let water enter the bores ; it having been found 

 from experience, that when this operation is neglected, the lime-water sinks 

 into the soil without producing much effect. With impervious loomy sub- 

 soils, resting on gravel, the case is otherwise ; and under such circumstances 

 worms may be useful, by permitting the escape of water where it would 

 otherwise be retained. With respect to worms adding to the depth of the 

 soil (an opinion first promulgated, we believe, by Mr. Charles Darwin), we 

 believe it to be entirely a delusion, as we have endeavoured to show in the 

 Gardener s Magazine, vol. xiv. p. 95. 



294. The injury done by worms in gardens we hold to be very consider- 

 able. By their casts they disfigure walks and lawns, and by cutting through 

 the roots they injure more or less all plants whatever, and particularly 

 those which are weak, (to which worms always attach themselves more than 



