30 HARNESSING THE EARTHWORM 



ties of fluid rich in calcium, which exerts its neutralizing action 

 upon the acids of the organic and inorganic mass of material 

 which daily passes through the alimentary canal of the earth- 

 worm a quantity which may equal or exceed its own weight 

 every twenty- four hours. 



The anterior one-third of the worm's body contains the vital 

 organs and organs of the digestive system, including the calcif- 

 erous glands, crop, gizzard, and reproductive organs. The re- 

 maining two-thirds contains the intestine. As stated before, the 

 entire worm is comprised in a muscular tube of from two hun- 

 dred to four hundred strongly contractile muscular rings, the 

 number of rings varying in different species. 



Continuing with the digestive process, after being discharged 

 from the gizzard into the intestine, the material is subjected to 

 further mixing action as it is moved slowly along the alimentary 

 canal, taking on valuable added elements from the intestinal and 

 urinary secretions in which it is continually bathed. Particularly 

 valuable is the admixture of the urinary secretions, on account 

 of the ammonia content. In Principles and Practice of Agricul- 

 tural Analysis, Dr. Harvey W. Wiley states : 



A considerable portion of the ammonia in the soil at any 

 given time may also be due to the action of worms, as much as 

 .018 per cent of this substance having been found in their excre- 

 ment [castings]. It is probable that nearly the whole of the vege- 

 table matter in the soil passes sooner or later through the alimen- 

 tary canal of these ceaseless soil-builders, and is converted into 

 the form of humus. 



In its passage through the worm, whatever nutriment that 

 may be necessary for the worm's own body-building and func- 

 tioning is absorbed from the humidified, semi-liquid, and emulsi- 

 fied material. After having performed this nutritional function, 

 the material is finally ejected as castings such finely divided, 

 thoroughly homogenized earth that only chemical analysis can 

 resolve it into its component parts. In other words, the ulti- 

 mate end-product of the activity of earthworms is humus the 



