HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1948-4-21, Page 6'World Couldn't
Do Without
Earthworms
Do you realize that OA wurtn is far
more important to the world than
man? If human life suddenly left
the• world it would still be
a fertile speck in the t'nirerse, and
r million Fears later visitors from
another planet would iml it still
rich and fertile.
But without worms the world
would he as dead and as unproduc-
tive as the Sahara Uesere Without
worms the earth ecntld brume no
more than a ball of baked dust and
man would cease to exist. Practically
the ehelle of in food is grown in the
top Tanabe inches of soil and it is
in this space that the worn works. It
"meso.," eel by eating leases, tvOgs,
and liber vegetable platter, and
hast; :whind it manure.
Larein said that in am average
acre ,.i laud there mere approximate-
ly 53,000 worut,. This number, mule
tiplfed by the number of cultivated
acre.., in England, makes, in tine
course of one year, 32(1,000,000 tons
of rich soil.
Actually, Darwin underestimated.
According to modern figures an acre
of average soil contains 500,000
worms, and in the same amount of
rich soil there are 1750,01)0 worms.
So if Darwin's estimate of the
soil produced by 53,000 norms is cor-
rect, the amount actually "made",
using the new figures, is from 3,-
000,000,000 tons to 10.000,000,000 tons
every year.
New Top Sail
Worsts break down the hard sail
surface by eating all sorts of veget-
able matter and soil; then excrete it
in the form of castings. This is the
richest soil in the world and in Brit-
ain covers the whole countryside to
a depth of three inches every fifteen
years,
This is easy work compared to
what worms do in parts of Africa,
Bobby Sox
"But I can't go out with Alvin
tonight! He doesn't go with
this outfit!"
where, being so numerous, they bring
to the surface every scrap of soil to a
depth of two feet every twenty-seven
years, so that without ploughing—and
huge areas of Africa hate never yet
known the plough—the soil is kept
sweet -and rich.
Next time you visit any ruins, not-
ice how the base of the walls and the
sides ._1f the masonry are partly cov-
ered over by soil. This is the work
of the norms, who, if left alone,
would continue until the whole of the
ruins were hidden beneath the
gronn 1.
There is the cast of a Roman city
in Shropshire, lost for centuries. One
day a scientist noticed a patch of
lane' tthich un'ulated queerly, and
particularly where the crops were
more than usually heavy. He started
excavations and found not only the
ruins of the missing city but the
skeletons of several men who had
fallen while defending their hones.
The worms had raised the surface
of the soil more than three feet above
the top of the highest wall.
Nile Valley Secret
The Nile Valley is another example
of worms' work. Since the beginn-
ing of recorded time the Nile Valley
has been fanned for its rich and pro-
ductive soil, Scientists now know the
secret. When in floor) the waters
wash down from the high altitudes
immense quantities of decaying or
genic matter. Worms hrcetl in count-
less millions along the hanks, waiting
for the store of food left there when
the waters recede. This they cat, and
the final result is some of the rich-
est soil in the world.
1f ;t were possible to take worms
to the Sahara Desert, that vast dead
space could be concerted into arable
land within a life time, Unfortunate-
ly worms do not thrive in hot, dry
climate;, so the scheme is irnpractic-
abl('.
1)r. 'Thomas Barrett, the American
Scientist, is at present working on the
problem of 5tonpin0 the terrible
n ua0 uy wind and water of vast
areas of the world. The notorious
Dust Bowl of America is one place,
Australia is another, where the ele-
ments have combined to destroy the
soil. Ile believes that worms in suf-
ficient quantities could not only stop
tine erosion hut could build up new
soil faster than either wind or rain
could destroy it.
Artist and Woodworker Combined—\\'trod e, rs ink 2 -
ing utilit} tyith beauty of design :lid tinish—is 121 t (lite of 1'x
many- types of -modern cr:lft-nlan-lip dealt with in an entre(-t-
ing National Pilin )k;:rel picture "Craftsmen at \\'url:••.
"Craftsmen at Work"
It is not so many years ago now
that handicrafts' were regarded as
a dying art, and practised only in
remote parts of the country. But,
It.ndicrafts are on the upswing to-
day, and interest is so keel, that
schools are establishing course, of
instruction in the very arts and
crafts which were ignored or laugh-
ed at not so long ago.
Recently produced is a 1111, en-
titled "Craftsmen at Work" now
being shown on the National Film
Board's rural filet programs in Ont-
ario.
* * t
Perhaps the most interesting fea-
-ture of the film is the sequence de-
voted to one of the new "Craft.
Centres", where Nova Scotia stud-
ents have the opportunity each s11nt-
mer of attending four week courses
in handicraft instruction. The tet <•.
of course given provides cogent rea-
sons for the continuing teem:i t1 y
and high standards of iraitvna,es
ship there. a
Rut latulicritit 111structiou Ines
little merit if there are no oppilrtuni-
tics for the tertist to display ;lis
wares. Therefore the tihe tate: in
a "Craftsmen at Work Exhibition"
where the prothtrts of many types
of skill are on display, including
pottery, weaning and carving. The
contmentater points out how the
landscape, birds and marine lite have
been combined with modern ino.iret
to produce the inspirations for the
designs.
* * *
The filet ,erns here to the pro-
cesses by 'mishit the handicrafts are
turned Dost. I)ne very interesting
scene shows bark being radlectcd
and boiled to y1(-111 a nietm al dye
inr homespun wool.
Finally, there are 'ie-ws
ren who arc training in their e,pare
time 10 br0,,ele mood c:rurr,.
'heir first nverl: is done in soap,
and. when they have become profici-
ent in this type_ of modelling, they
"pa•s" into 1:'c prof-s•ie nal class
where they :arc allowed to use their
hammers and chisels on n,
...THE GREEN THUMB...
By Gordon L. Smith
Annual Flowers
One of tile satisfying thinge about
gardening is that one can spend
as little energy or money as one
wishes. There is
scope for the most
elaborate p1am-
ning and designs.
for an immense
amount of exer-
cise if one feels
that way. On tihe
other hand if time
or health are limi-
ted, or if one feels
like loafing, then one can hate a
garden to suit that mood, too. One
cannot say that a small flower
garden is less beautiful than a
Large one.
Even though your garden is
planted to shrubbery and p,rens
nials, a section entirely devoted to
annuals is delightful. It should be
planned with the same care you
give to your perennial beds and it
must be sunny a good share cf the
day, for most annuals love sunshine.
Your annual garden ?tight be
made to divide the lawn from the
vegetable garden, perhaps follow-
ing the bonier of the backyard
where clothes are lung out to dry.
Gay annual borders are sometimes
made along a walk through the re-
g table garden, Dr even flank the
food garden on both sides.
Planting Plan
With your planting plan skctrh-
ed on paper, study out by means
. L.
of your seed catalogue where each
favorite is to ga. You are painting
a picture with flowers and foliage.
Don't let yourself fall for those
"surprise packets" of annual sceds
where you broadcast the seed and
get a hodgepodge of you -don't -
know -what. They are ell right for
ate adventure, but have no )'!ice in
a well designed garden.
$Ick into your plans son's low -
growing annuals in front, tall ones
in the rear --or if your p,a11s go
on both side ed a plot. the tall ones
Ho in the center and low on each
""rout." He\'.tg made a lot of fa-
vorites et- "musts" according to
height, notice the halite of growth.
Sone are upright. like dahlia: and
giant zinnias. Others are spread-
ing and busily like most of the
French marigolds, the 1511111 as. and
the portulacas.
Color Masses
Tall plants on single stems that
may need staking should be ehcl-
tercd by busily plants that help
hide the stakes. Coarse foliage
ough' to be relieved by more fern-
like foliage. to skill with thio kind
of arrangement comes with experi-
ence and cannot be achies cd en-
tirely by a study of the catalogues,
but should be sought in planting,)
Tinally, your planting plan should
enable you to block in your colors
as you want them. In general, work
with masses---tdtat is, several plants
of the sante kind in a group. rather
than one plant of one kind next
to one plant of another,
FUNNY BUSINESS
By Hershberger
.
ro
e ,
"We have to guarantee a hit—ave're short an ammunition 1"
rovered
Rack Slapper
By
ROY V, PRICE
Pops suit certainly looked its
seven y('arc droop( el nil his tail
form, making 11111 look older than
bis 59 tare His wife put her arms
aria d his lurk like a girl, "Noe'
don't you worry about a you:ar
elan taking }our lob," she scud.
-There's. always an opening .for
good adv(11 inns salesman, dear."
hewn 11,11) or cheek and kissed
beta He toned his most cxeri,d
manner. lint somehow he knew he
tya•11'2 in,.;i111 her.
"All these 1onng upstarts use the
a. 11,5 ap .erne:I on eterv612dy. !lack -
skipping and hearty handshakes:
Not one of then' has- a real knnwl•
edge of 1115 service selling. Not one
of them las a deep appreciation for
the psyclol.igiral mals -up of an in-
dividual he happens to be facing."
Pop left the bus, as usual, several
blocks before he reached the oifitc
and 11:111, d through the park elle
an agility that proved he was :tore
than strong enough to be an active
elesman. But h1R brow was far-
rowed. He'll bate a terrible time
finding any job anywhere at his
age! He was already breaking under
the ravages of the pace he'd set
ler himself -_. a pace to outstrip all.
Pop thought it best not to take
the initiative, but encouraged Here-
ford to talk.
the ,411( r salesmen, especially
Brown, who wits looked up to as
the best despite Isis back-slapping
t(shnique.
"Good morning, Pop," carte a
familiar rune.
'Hello, Reckless!" Pop called to
the youngster.
"I,00kit this dive bomber! Made it
myself,"
Their talk about dive bombers
stopped when Reckless fixed his
books under Inds arms and glanced
around, "Say, Pop, here cones
Dant!" When 1110 boy's father tante
up, be was greeted with, "Dad! This
is I'op. IIe helped me when I fell
off my bicycle."
The men completed the introduc-
tion and shook hands. During tine
next few moments, Pop sized up
the n1an. Very sensitive.
At the office the boss delivered a
pep talk to his sales force. "We've
been trying for the better part of
two years to get the Hereford ac-
count. in far none of you has ever
got inside his office. Brown, yott
were top ratan last month by a wide
margin. And Pop, you're had more
expellencc than any five combil ed.
I want yon and 111051'? to see w tat
Y ran do about the account. You
know what it will mean to the r tan
who brings it jiffy
Far an hour Pop had Leen pati-
ently waiting, along with a dozen
Or 112(2 5 persons, to see Hereford.
:'•'diml) the outer door opened and
in barged Brown with a package
under his arm. Instead of taking
place In line and waiting, he
strutted right ep to the girt at lite
desk,
"With ray aomplime pts, am) 1
hope they're as dnlicfnos as you
look," Smiling. h.rcwn handed her
a box of randy,
way, 1 wonder if d reigla
;see \I r. Hereford for a Sett,.:,
"t;o riot! in. Mr. 111•, 551)" st'c
said. weed Zing ber nose 111 hi1n.
levan'. in was rc-til.g in his
emelt( el L1,r.ds as he wondered 1:1,2.11
Ili, fine, :an; he didn't sec' Tree, it
lcavirle t,.O ' briskly. Pop wird 1td-
ready -(, ltrown with 11, con1rart.
Suddenly to hie surprise. he heard
his rum, called. Entering ilerc-
ford's office, l'op thought be had
never seen a more irritable -looking
man. "\Weil!" Herefore' barked.
Then he recognised Pop.
This ea: one time Pop thought it
hest not to take tine initiative, but
encouragedellereford to talk.
"SOnin high-pressure salesman
forced Ids may into my office and
tried to ram a bill of goods down
my throat." Hereford wiped his
perspiring tore/seed. "I was burned
up!"
Next nag day, Polis wife was
Waiting for him on the porch.
"Didn't I tell yon sof" throwing her
arms around his neck, slapping hie
hack. "That increase in salary
Proves ltd''
"Aw, honey, it wax notating," Pop
grinned. "hut 1 certainly dolt mind
the hack -slapping -lcehndeme when
you tedireinitter it."
The End
A warns mustard Lath accelerates
the flow of hotly 'blood said the rate
of metabolism, accordant- to recent
medical c51' riments,
Crew of Lightship
Lead Lonely Lives
The viord "lurcher", according to
W(bstet'5 dictionary, nu atm "one
who, or that which, lurches or lies
in wait t one who watch,5 to pilfer, or
to betray nr entrap". Iatrcher Shoals
Inc thus evil named. They are'ledg-
es which lie a few f et under the
a surface. 18 or 20 utiles from Yar-
mouth, near the nautili of the ]lay
of Fuud>.
AI that spat, the eon feet of tide,
rock and wind elntrns the water furi-
ously. Pew stretches in the world
are se (2111111, And feet twmdd be so
dattg(rons tu-uatigalieen, were it not
for the i sircher lightship. She stands
guard leer the shoals, tethered to a
711110poundanchor ley 18(1 fathoms of
gigantic so el rhalm. \\ hen she first
went to bee station, 0-011 after the
torn of lite century, it was cotnn,ul-
ly supposed that 5,) oily would be
limn,' nr scree aboard her, and there
011 talus in Parliament of manning
the craft with cnstiets,
As- it turned out, this was not
1,1c, •van, Lot ler ere w have a grim
and. lonely life. 'Chic' is not Made
any e1 -i2 r l y the rolling and pitch-
ing of the battered ship, which is
learn l-•ha4ed and feasts few mod-
ern centeudences.
In \\inter, supplies .wadi her only
once a month—and sometimes not
that uit,n. Her drinking water gets
low, her officers and men are Ire-
. emends- reduced to eating salt meat,
and they have to fall back on their
01511 resources for entertainment. Yet
they go along year after year. keep-
ing the foghorn and the light and
the boilers in condition, and taking
hearings daily. Since the Lurcher
iightship has been on duty, the Lur-
cher Shoals have not claimed one
victim, although formerly they had a
reputation like that of Salle island,
the gran eyard of tine Atlantic.
Now the Lurcher lightship, which
is half a century old, is to be replaced
by a new vessel which 5(11 cost : re-
ported 59511,000. Mariners who have
known the ?lel Lurcher lightship for
years will feel as though they are
losing a lifelong friend when she ;s
taken away to the scrap yard. But
her successor will be safer, better,
and will offer a more comfortable
life to the veteran crew,
Chinas sill: culture has flourish-
ed fur 4,000 years.
.—
She (eroding a quarrel): "I see
now why a wOtno' is often Gelled
it bird."
IIe (smartie): "Yes, bemuse they
are always o1 the look int for
crumbs,"
She tgttietly'): "No, because of
the worm? they pica: up."
('00 (5111 111110 $ll,,I 22 0
The Si. Regis Rotel
ronoNTI)
▪ lacers Roou, 0)0, rah 25500.
Shower mut relenaane
• Single, 5:65(2 and a6-
1/md,le, 5-2.6(4 vo
m (loo( Fond. tlln(ns and Oonell[
NIchtr
Raernoerne nl ('nrl(on
Fel IgA 4156
ROOMS BEAUTIFULLY
FURNISHED $1,50 up
HOTEL METROPOLE
NI/LOA/LA FA1.2.5
ol'P. — 0.5 n. STATION
ASE
COMMQN or"•
SflRE
THROAT.'
in
MINt heat and ARU'S, and note the
quick relief you get.
Greve less, fast•drying, no
strop or unpleasant odor. [Rue[
Geta bottle today; keep [cm(ornlcal
it handy. n,ze 65c
1 5.46
MENNIENSEMESSIMERNS
Iv,
/'/lies ,ozed
Nile HMI' PfHiPMIle
THE MERCHANT SEAMAN
Pivot of world trade, carrier of Canada's
exports, bringer of her imports. The Merchant
Seaman—determined, skilful and steadfast;
unsung hero of the seas, guiding the vital
cargoes of nations across the water routes of
the world.
Men like this, some of Canada's finest, are
in tine public's service—at your service.
Il'AWES BLACK HORSE BREWERY
One of a series of advertisements in tribute to those Canadians lit the service of the public
Weammayassecommarimosemat
JITTER
,1NTie UK65-io RIDE HIS PORI<CHOPS —'
INSreAD of 5.01116 THAI. HP I2APPENEIh -
70 BE 2N 7HE"Ll55 OF FIRE A7 passsarIMC.
SAW- WHAT'rR6'\
VA CPVIN6 FOR I.
IT' AI -Lome AND
YOU'DION'T GET
By Arthur Polluter