HUMBLE HELPERS 



There is another little creature that comes above 

 ground at night and stays under ground all day, un- 

 less the rain drives it out of its burrow, or we digit 

 up. It is a very humble little animal and many fool- 

 ish people dislike extremely to touch it. But the 

 earthworm is perfectly harmless and very clean. 

 Moreover, it is one of the greatest little helpers that 

 ever a farmer had. 



The greatest scientist, Darwin, has said, ''It may 

 be doubted whether there are many other animals 

 which have played so important a part in the 

 history of the world as have these lowly-organized 

 creatures." 



The earthworm is like a tiny plowman, continually 

 working over and enriching the soil in our gardens, 

 under our lawns and in our moist pastures and farm 

 lands. 



How do you suppose this tiny plowman goes to 

 work to turn over the soil? All we ever see it do 

 w^hen we dig it up is to hide quickly, burrowing its 

 way out of sight. Yet that is just the way this little 

 plowman does its work, by burrowing under the sur- 

 face of the ground. 



The earthworm makes a long hole or burrow a foot 

 and more in length, deep into the ground. As it 

 burrows, it eats the earth. In its tiny gizzard the 



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