10 HARNESSING THE EARTHWORM 



Back of the generalizations of science are the epic stories of 

 mankind. "Water seeks its own level" is a generalization. "So 

 what?" is the instant question that springs into the modern, 

 curious, inquiring, practical mind. To answer this question in 

 detail it woulld be necessary to write the story of the develop- 

 ment of plant and animal life on this planet the development 

 of agriculture, irrigation and power, the machine age, navigation, 

 the joining of oceans by canals, the conquest of the air by air- 

 planes, the annihilation of space by radio, the exploration into the 

 infinite reaches of the universe by astronomers, and all the 

 amazing phenomena of present-day civilization which have 

 followed because of the simple fact that water seeks its own 

 level. 



Because water runs down hill, the great catch-basins of the 

 earth oceans, lakes, depressions, the substrata of the earth it- 

 self are filled and maintained as storage reservoirs of this basic 

 essential of life. 



"Earthworms excrete humus" is a generalization which 

 epitomizes the important findings of science in the study of these 

 lowly organized animals. "So what?" comes again the instant, 

 practical question. It is with the answer to this question a little 

 question with a big answer that this inquiry deals. Back of the 

 generalization "earthworms excrete humus" is another epic story 

 which would require volumes adequately to tell. This inquiry 

 is concerned with the practical side of the story. "Harnessing 

 the Earthworm" is the theme of this book. The theme-song of 

 the book is "Earthworms Excrete Humus." 



In the light of modern development and utilization of water 

 power, it is difficult to realize that for ages man watched the 

 quick-flowing rivers running down to the sea, with their un- 

 controlled destructive action, before he even conceived of the 

 possibility of harnessing water power in a primitive way for his 

 own use. 



When we inspect a magnificent ocean liner, or study the 

 miracle of modern commerce and war on the seven seas, it takes 



