Vermifuge

“ The smell of the fresh plant is extremely fetid, and, when taken, it will purge, or provoke vomiting. The leaves are very useful for expelling worms. Dr. Woodville says their juice made into a syrup, with coarse sugar, is almost the only vermifuge he had used against round worms for three years past. "If these leaves be dried in an oven after the bread is drawne out, and the powder thereof be taken in a figge, or raisin, or strewed upon a piece of [110] bread spread with honey, and eaten, it killeth worms in children exceedingly." ”

“ CLAYTON’S VERMIFUGE
Either in Liquid form, Soft Capsules or Pills The peculiar virtue of Clayton’s Vermifuge is recognized by all dog fanciers. There is no other vermifuge like it.
CLAYTON’S VERMIFUGE (Liquid) is equally good for dogs of all ages and breeds, and is especially adapted for very young puppies. The treatment for worms in puppies should be commenced at 10 days old, as they have worms soon after birth. (Can be administered in capsules.)
CLAYTON’S VERMIFUGE (Soft) CAPSULES are intended for puppies after they are six weeks old and for grown dogs. ”

“ They have got more pure gall to the superficial foot than anybody we ever heard of. It seems that the house has a lot of vermifuge to feed plants, and a bedbug tonic that it wants to bring before the public, and it wants us to devote a quarter of a column every day to the merits of these bug and worm discouragers, and then take our pay out of tickets in the drawing of a brindle dog next spring. ”

“ Few dogs go through life without having Worms at some time in their career and in the case of puppies, we doubt if any ever escape these intestinal pests. Usually the kennel owner or dealer, worms the puppies before he sells them, hence the future owner has little to fear, although it must not be supposed that when a vermifuge is given to a puppy once or even two or three times during his young life, that he will be forever free from worms. ”

“ These cells are occupied by a succession of six, or eight, or even sometimes no more than two, three, or four cartridge- or thimble-like cases, in each of which is deposited a single egg with a sufficiency, taught the creature by its instinct, of a mingled paste of honey and pollen, for the full nurture and development of the vermicle that will proceed from the egg upon its being hatched, and wherein this larva, having consumed its provender, becomes transformed into the pupa, and by the continuance of nature’s mysterious operations, it speedily changes into the perfect insect. ”

“ Though this reproductive rate is not the equal of yeast (capable of doubling every twenty minutes) , still a several-hundred-fold increase every six months is amazingly fast. When vermicomposting, the worm population increase is limited by available food and space and by the worms' own waste products or casts. Worm casts are slightly toxic to worms. When a new box starts out with fresh bedding it contains no casts. As time goes on, the bedding is gradually broken down by cellulose-eating microorganisms whose decay products are consumed by the worms and the box gradually fills with casts. ”

“ Everything suits them: ornamental plants and edible plants alike, flower-beds, market-gardens, and plants in fields. When a seedling withers without apparent cause, draw it to you gently; and the dying plant will come up, but maimed, cut from its root. The Gray Worm has passed that way in the night; its greedy jaws have cut the plant. It is as bad as the White Worm, the grub of the Cockchafer. When it swarms in a beet-country, the damage amounts to millions. This is the terrible enemy against which the Sand-Wasp comes to our aid. ”

“ Earthworms prefer cool temperatures, moist soil, humidity, relatively less sunlight and neither too coarse nor too fine sand. These are the ideal conditions that must be kept in mind when using them for vermiculture. Since earthworms breathe through the skin, they perish if their skin becomes dry or the quantity of mucus diminishes. Hence to keep earthworms alive in the vermicompost containers, care should be taken to ensure that the vermibed remains moist. Earthworms however do not prefer waterlogged soils. ”

“ The scientific name of the species used in vermicomposting is Eisenia foetida. They may be purchased by mail from breeders, from bait stores, and these days, even from mail-order garden supply companies. Redworms may also be collected from compost and manure piles after they have heated and are cooling.
Nightcrawlers and common garden worms play a very important part in the creation and maintenance of soil fertility. But these species are soil dwellers that require cool conditions. They cannot survive in a shallow worm box at room temperatures. ”

“ The species of worm used for vermicomposting has a number of common names: red worms, red wigglers, manure worms, or brandling worms. Redworms are healthy and active as long as they are kept above freezing and below 85 degree. Even if the air temperature gets above 85 degree, their moist bedding will be cooled by evaporation as long as air circulation is adequate. They are most active and will consume the most waste between 55-77 degree—room temperatures. Redworms need to live in a moist environment but must breath air through their skin. Keeping their bedding damp is rarely the problem ”

“ These same self-interested individuals tend to breed and sell worms. If the variety being offered is Eisenia foetida, the brandling, red wiggler, or manure worm used in vermicomposting, adding them to soil is a complete waste of money. This species does not survive well in ordinary soil and can breed in large numbers only in decomposing manure or other proteinaceous organic waste with a low C/N. All worm species breed prolifically. If there are any desirable worms present in soil, their population will soon match the available food supply and soil conditions. ”

“ When the vermicle, or young larva, has grown a little, four membranous buds or follicles, like flower-cups, are observed to spring out of the body near the end of the thorax; if opened at an early period, these are found to be mere bags, containing nothing but a watery ichor, but they soon become more matured, and the wings may be observed in them folded together. When full grown, all the varieties of colour and painting which distinguish the perfect insect, become transparent through the skin. The food of these larvae, he says, is soft mud, and the fine earthy substance in which they live. ”

“ By means of their burrows earthworms facilitate the penetration of air and water into the soil, while their habit of dragging leaves and other vegetable material into these burrows increases the organic matter present below the surface. These facts are generally agreed upon, but it is a disputed point whether earthworms, by devouring organic matter, aid the conversion of the latter into plant food more rapidly than takes place solely through the activities of micro-organisms. ”

“ The litter that has not been decomposed, dead microbes and microarthropods, along with their excretions and secretions, mix and form humus. This humus is in a complex form and therefore not available to the plants for use. Here is where earthworms come into the picture. The earthworms present in the soil feed on the humus. The castings (wormicasts) excreted by these earthworms, as a result, contain nutrients in a form that is readily available to the plants for their growth. The plants in turn, when they die or shed leaves, contribute to the litter which becomes food for microbes and fungi. ”

“ In a few days, the tube swarming with newborn vermin contains a liquid as fluid and transparent as water. Not a drop would remain in the tube if I turned it upside down. All the white of egg has disappeared, liquefied. As for the worms, which are already a fair size, they seem very ill at ease. Deprived of a support whence to attain the outer air, most of them dive into the broth of their own making, where they perish by drowning. Others, endowed with greater vigor, crawl up the glass to the plug and manage to make their way through the wadding. ”

“ The way to increase worm populations is to increase organic matter, up mineral fertility, and eliminate acidity.
Earthworms and their beneficial activities are easily overlooked and left out of our contemplations on proper gardening technique. But understanding their breeding cycle allows gardeners to easily assist the worms efforts to multiply. In temperate climates, young earthworms hatch out in the fall when soil is cooling and moisture levels are high. As long as the soil is not too cold they feed actively and grow. By early spring these young worms are busily laying eggs. ”

“ The disappearance of the organic matter from mould is probably much aided by its being brought again and again to the surface in the castings of worms.
Worms, on the other hand, add largely to the organic matter in the soil by the astonishing number of half-decayed leaves which they draw into their burrows to a depth of 2 or 3 inches. They do this chiefly for obtaining food, but partly for closing the mouths of their burrows and for lining the upper part. The leaves which they consume are moistened, torn into small shreds, partially digested, and intimately commingled with earth ”

“ The behaviour of earthworms as a factor inducing soil fertility is discussed by Darwin in his well-known work on the subject, and their action may be briefly summarised as follows. In feeding habits they are very largely saprophagous, and consume decaying vegetable matter including humus, which they swallow, together with large quantities of soil. Earthworms come to the surface to discharge their fæces (“worm casts”) , and in this process they are continually bringing up some of the deeper soil to the air. ”

“ They mingle the whole intimately together, like a gardener who prepares fine soil for his choicest plants. In this state it is well fitted to retain moisture and to absorb all soluble substances, as well as for the process of nitrification. The bones of dead animals, the harder parts of insects, the shells of land-molluscs, leaves, twigs, &c., are before long all buried beneath the accumulated castings of worms, and are thus brought in a more or less decayed state within reach of the roots of plants. ”

“ Worm castings, the end product of vermicomposting, are truly the finest compost you could make or buy. Compared to the volume of kitchen waste that will go into a worm box, the amount of castings you end up with will be small, though potent. Apartment dwellers could use worm castings to raise magnificent house plants or scatter surplus casts under the ornamentals or atop the lawn around their buildings or in the local park. ”

“ Once the container is full with organic waste, it should be covered with a little soil and allowed to decompose undisturbed. Only watering the pit should continue. After it has decomposed fully (roughly 45 days) watering must be stopped for about 3 to 5 days. This will force the earthworms to migrate down to the bottom of the container which will have some moisture as compared with the top soil. Then the top layer of soil which is really the organic matter which has been converted into manure should be removed without disturbing the vermibed. This organic manure can be used for plants. ”

“ Nevertheless from what we have seen, castings would certainly tend to flow and to be washed during heavy rain from the crowns into the furrows. But as soon as a bed of fine earth had by any means been accumulated in the furrows, it would be more favourable for worms than the other parts, and a greater number of castings would be thrown up here than elsewhere; and as the furrows on sloping land are usually directed so as to carry off the surface water, some of the finest earth would be washed from the castings which had been here ejected and be carried completely away. ”

“ Many are merely scavengers, but some insects, such as grass-grubs and the caterpillars of certain moths, and millepedes, feed upon living plants and so add organic matter to the soil in their excreta, which also contains quantities of soil swallowed with the food, this latter mechanical action aiding in the pulverising and opening up of the soil; certain eelworms, too, that attack living plants play a somewhat similar part, in that they are primary causative agents in the decay of healthy tissues. ”

“ When worm casts are observed on the surface of the pot, as will very often be the case, the plant, with its ball of earth entire, may be turned out of the pot, and the worms, which will always be found on the outside of the ball may be picked off. Worms do considerable injury to plants, especially such as are in pots, by rupturing the fibres and impeding the free percolation of the water, besides giving the surface of the earth in the pot, a very unpleasant appearance. The [Pg 363] flowers of the Verbenas should always be cut off as soon as they wither. ”

“ We also started vermiculture in a wooden crate. Eventually the crate was used as a seed bed and a fine crop of jackfruit seedlings was raised in the box. The other two vermipits (of brick) function well, and all our household waste is processed by the earthworms.
At the end of February, I was eager and ready to set out again. Although some contacts for the study of bee-keeping had been made by my dad, I was personally not very much interested in the subject. Crocs, snakes and the wild had gripped me and I was longing to get back to the Croc Bank. ”

“ Sometimes the burrow contains nothing but the well-sinker surprised at its work: sometimes—and not rarely—the hermit will be found embracing a small subterranean fungus, entire or partly consumed. It presses it convulsively to its bosom and will not be parted from it. This is the insect's booty: its worldly wealth. Scattered crumbs inform us that we have surprised the beetle at a feast. ”

“ It is not enough that the house should look clean. The obvious dirt, bad as it is, does less harm than the almost invisible vermin that lurk in the crevices of roosts, nests, and walls. Whitewash is a very wholesome finish for the interior and should be put on at least twice a year. This is not enough however. Every square inch of surface should be wet thoroughly with some liquid which is sure death to vermin. Spray or brush may be used. I wonder if this could be done too often in hot weather. Once a month is probably often enough if good insect powder is used on the hens and in the nests. ”