EARTHWORM CULTURE 113 



ing, which acts as a spreader for the water and prevents the 

 water from disturbing the surface of the culture. As the burlap 

 rots and disintegrates, it becomes food for the worms and a 

 fresh cover is added as necessary. Experience has proved that 

 such a cover conserves the moisture and prevents the surface 

 from drying out, provides a dark surface, and favors capsule 

 production. 



Impregnating Culture Boxes with Egg-Capsules 



The culture boxes for capsules are prepared the same as 

 for breeder worms, as described in the preceding paragraph. 

 Spread two or three hundred earthworm egg-capsules over the 

 surface of the compost and cover with one inch of additional 

 compost. Cover with damp burlap, exactly as outlined for 

 breeder worms. Place in a warm place for incubating and hatch- 

 ing. A temperature of from fifty to seventy degrees in the shade 

 is warm enough. A shed, basement, or other shady place can 

 be utilized. At the proper temperature, the eggs will incubate 

 and hatch in from fourteen to twenty-one days. The newly 

 spawned worms will develop quite rapidly in a warm environ- 

 ment and will reach the reproductive stage in from sixty to ninety 

 days. The culture should not be disturbed during development, 

 except for the necessary watering. Contents of the culture box 

 should be kept moist at all times. After sixty days, the culture 

 may be examined to determine if capsules are being produced. 

 After capsule production is started, the cultures are handled the 

 same as the culture boxes of mature worms. A lug box of com- 

 post as described above has sufficient food to develop one to two 

 thousand worms from capsule to reproductive stage. Thus, a 

 thousand or more egg-capsules may be used in a single box, in- 

 cubated and hatched out and developed over a period of from 

 sixty to ninety days. Then the culture can be divided into two 

 or more boxes. Through experience we have found that about 

 five hundred mature worms to a lug box give the best results in 



