40 



LIFE ON THE FARM. 



small creature, but such countless numbers are con- 

 stantly at work, when the soil is moist enough and 

 warm enough, that the amount of fresh soil brought 

 to the surface by them annually is enormous. The 

 earthworm burrows through the soil for the organic 

 matter which it is able to get from it. In order to 

 get the food from the soil, it takes the soil into its 

 stomach. This process not only grinds the soil 

 into finer pieces, but increases its richness. 



Bringing to the surface an amount of soil that 

 can be easily measured, it has been definitely 

 proved that the earthworm completely mixes and 

 re-mixes the soil in a definite number of years. It 

 can truly be said that this little animal is one of 

 the farmer's best friends. 



