9C Thirlij-sixUi Annunl Meeting 



as food for oeeupants of vivaria the cartliwonns which arc evcrv- 

 wliero I'oinid in <i,Tcat al)inidance in moist soils. Darwin esti- 

 mated tlic numl)cr of worms cxistin-^- in a licclai-c {'I l-'l acres) 

 at more than l.'iO.OdO. wei,u]iin,a- aliout 11.") kilos. e(|nivalcnt to 

 ahout :)'.\(»()0 worms, or 100 ponnds per acre. 



It is ])ossihle to collect lliese worms in ((uantities in tl)e (ields 

 at the time ol tillage, immediately hehind the jilow which has \\n- 

 covered them, and this is what cerlain growei's lia\c done in order 

 to secure living animal food for tlieir aviaries or poultry yards. 

 Since this proceeding was always dependent on the plowing, it 

 has heen found necessary to try to find a more jjraetical means 

 of ol)taining worms in sufficient quantities. Dilferent systems 

 liave li;'(n occasionally suggested, hut thus fai' no method ha'^ 

 heen found giving uniformly satisfactory results. Last summer 

 a very distinguished agriculturist, the Baron Malsen, proprietor 

 of the large establishment of fishculture at Karlstein, near Bad- 

 Reichenhall, Upper Bavaria, attempted a very interesting ex- 

 periment in the artificial cultivation, of worms, with a view to 

 procuring them for food for his trout. The method which he 

 follow(Hl was suggested ])y Prof. Eoules of the Faculty of 

 Science, of Toulouse. This was the procedure : 



A long trench, ahout 50 centimeters (20 inches) deep and of 

 ahout the same width, was dug in the ground; then by means of 

 old discarded hoards this trench was divided into compartments 

 of equal size. One of these was left empty and the next two were 

 filled with compost mixed with rotten wood and the materials 

 w-ere heaped up to form a mound as high as the depth of the 

 ditch. Thi> full compartments which alternated with the empty 

 ones were covered with rotten straw and dry leaves loaded with 

 large stones to keep them from being blown away. After a 

 sufficient time to permit the multiplic,ation of the worms, with 

 which they had been previously stocked, the heaps were broken 

 u|), to pei'mit the collection of the worms, and in their turn the 

 compartments previously emi)ty were filled with the materials of 

 the demolished h(>n])s, new ones Ix'ing thus foi'med, and so on in 

 succession. 



Contrary to the usual licdief. ex]ierience proves that angle- 

 worms in order to inidti]>ly considerably do not need a great deal 

 of moisture, wliich Avould even be unfavorable.. Compost made 



