EARTHWORM CULTURE 111 



nourished, regardless of the organic composition of the composted 

 soil-building material. Maximum production in box culture is 

 dependent on plenty of food. The mash or corn meal should be 

 added before the compost has been wet, so that it can be uni- 

 formly distributed throughout the mixture. 



Measuring and Quality of Materials 



In preparing compost for box culture, we usually mix about 

 three cubic feet of material, which is about all the mixing box 

 will accommodate. An apple box is a handy measure, as it 

 holds approximately a cubic foot. It is not necessary to bother 

 with too fine a measure, as the proportions as outlined are ap- 

 proximate only. So we take an apple box, or other measure, of 

 manure; one box of good loamy topsoil and one box of agricul- 

 tural peat moss, plus three pounds of chicken mash, or one and 

 one-half pounds of corn meal. The peat may be soaked ahead 

 of time, broken up, and squeezed out. It requires several hours' 

 time fully to impregnate peat with water. We usually soak it 

 twenty-four hours before mixing the compost and then squeeze 

 the surplus water out. Materials should be measured dry, as 

 they bulk up after water is added. Peat moss is best for lug- 

 box culture, as the idea is to provide a compost that will retain 

 a high water content without being soggy or muddy. For large 

 compost beds, straw, hay, leaves, or other vegetable matter may 

 be substituted for peat. Lug-box culture is used particularly for 

 production of large numbers of egg-capsules for impregnation 

 of more extensive compost beds and soil areas. Therefore 

 greater care may be taken and a small additional expense in- 

 curred. Commercially, egg-capsules are valued at one cent each, 

 the value being based on labor cost for production and handling. 

 We value a lug-box culture of five hundred breeder worms at 

 fifteen dollars. However, in production for use in impregnating 

 soil, millions of capsules can be propagated at practically no cost 

 other than the cost of the cheap and abundant material used 



