EARTHWORM CULTURE 115 



spatula. Never use a sharp cutting tool in handling earth- 

 worms. While they will stand considerable handling, they should 

 not be cut or injured. If there are a number of boxes to be 

 serviced, a long table can be used and several boxes dumped at 

 one time. During the harvesting, the work table should be in a 

 lighted place, either mild sunshine or under electric light. Worms 

 are very sensitive to light and will quickly burrow down toward 

 the bottom and center of the compost in trying to escape from 

 the light. Have the same number of culture boxes prepared as 

 have been dumped. The old boxes which have been dumped 

 should be prepared again, the same as the original culture boxes. 

 The old boxes will have the original labels on them and can be 

 used for the breeder worms over and over. 



After waiting a few minutes after dumping, to allow the 

 worms to work down away from the surface, start the harvest- 

 ing operation by raking the material from the surface of the 

 cone-shaped pile. Proceed lightly, with the fingers, so as not to 

 injure the worms. An inch or more of material can usually be 

 removed at first; the material removed contains the egg-capsules 

 and is placed in the new culture box; wait a few minutes, to 

 allow the worms to work deeper, then repeat the operation; and 

 so on, until two-thirds or more of the old culture material has 

 been transferred to the new box. Any worms encountered 

 should be transferred back to the old culture box. Experience 

 will soon teach how to harvest the increase as rapidly as pos- 

 sible. In following this routine, the breeder worms will be found 

 in the one-third of the old compost remaining on the table. Most 

 of the egg-capsules will have been transferred to the new culture 

 boxes. The harvested material will contain the capsules which 

 have been produced during the two or three weeks preceding the 

 harvest. Also it will contain a good many young worms. We 

 sometimes wait a day or more, after dumping the culture boxes 

 on the work table, before beginning the harvesting. By waiting 

 a considerable length of time, we shall find that most of the 

 worms will have worked down to the bottom of the pile, and we 



