110 HARNESSING THE EARTHWORM 



sprinkled more and more, so that when it is ready for use it 

 will be a crumbly mass, damp through and through, but not 

 muddy or "soggy" wet. Compost should not be "flooded," as 

 this tends to "puddle" the fine soil and make a dense mass in- 

 stead of a crumbly, loamy compost. A good plan is to mix a 

 tray of compost as outlined and then sprinkle it daily for two 

 or three days, turning it thoroughly at each sprinkling. In this 

 way the material will absorb the water evenly through and 

 through. For lug box propagation, too much care cannot be 

 exercised in the preparation of material for capsule production. 



Lug Box Compost Material 



For lug-box culture, a fine compost may be prepared of 

 one part manure, one part screened topsoil, and one part 

 agricultural peat moss. A mixture of manures may be used. 

 However, we prefer a mixture of horse and rabbit manure, 

 half-and-half, finely broken up, or a mixture made from rabbit 

 manure only. In considering the kind of manure to use, the 

 available source of manure must be taken into account. For 

 large compost beds, where from a cubic yard to several tons 

 of material is composted, all kinds of manure and vegetable 

 waste, including garbage, can be used to advantage ; but for 

 intensive production of capsules in lug boxes, it is highly de- 

 sirable to have a very fine compost of crumbly material that is 

 not too disagreeable or messy to handle with the bare hands or 

 with gloves. In addition to the material as outlined, we usually 

 work into the compost a liberal sprnikling of some standard, 

 all-purpose chicken mash or corn meal. Corn iheal has been 

 found to favor the formation of egg-capsules. If mash is used, 

 the proportion should be about one-half to one pound for each 

 cubic foot of finished compost. If corn meal is used, about 

 one-half pound for each cubic foot of finished compost is suffi- 

 cient. The mash or corn meal insures a ration of carbohydrates, 

 proteins, and fats for the worms, so that they will be well- 



