Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (April 20, 1956)
FOUH MEDFOHD (OREGON) Earthworm Gains Attention As Fishing, Farming Begin Washington Again with spring at hand, people turn to the earthworm as a lure for fish and a fertilizer of gardens. Sometimes called fishworms, angleworms, nightcrawlers, dew worms and rain worms, the multitudinous wigglers have served mankind since antiquity. Cleopatra guarded the rich Nile Valley worms as a state secret. Naturalist Charles Dar win doubted "whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world as have these lowly organized creatures." Others have called them the world's first plowmen, chemists, irrigation systems and fertilizer factories. From burrow lacing the soil, the worms venture to the surface at night to feed pn decaying plants and other organic mate rial. Sometimes they drag the provender underground to eat at leisure. The digested product is a black substance called earth-, worm castings, a powerful nat ural fertilizer. Some authorities say that fruit and vegetables grown in such enriched soil have more flavor and often greater size. The worms' burrows help the earth to hold air and moisture. Upward of 50,000 earthworms inhabit each acre, Darwin es timated. Over 15 tons of soil per acre may be brought to the sur face each year by the untiring "cultivators." Earthworms came into commer cial importance in recent years. An Ohio fishing-tackle firm recently ordered 25,000,000 lob worms (lugworms that burrow in sandy places) from England. Mil lions of Egyptian worms have been exposed to the United States to fertilize soils. A Wash ington, D. C., fishing hobbyist decided to raise a few for his fi AfclWEW"" Ww8y :;MMjimN!!rSuiu.L SIEASEE MAIN & FIR MAIL TRIBUNE personal use, later to find him self in the earthworm business with an inventory of 2,000,000 worms. Student Selli Wormt An Arlington, Va., resident some years ago treated his bar ren backyard with earthworm castings. Today, tomato vines climb almost to the eaves of his bungalow. His flowers are the envy of his neighbors. A New York City student earned his way through college selling worms to anglers. A "worm farm near Hereford, Eng land, sold more than 1,000,000 specimens between last June and September to fishermen seeking trout, perch, roach and grayling. The redder worms are, anglers say, the more attractive they are to fish. To satisfy increasing demands, worms often are packed in tins with preparations that feed and insulate them from, undue heat and cold. Tins for individual fish ermen may contain only a hund red specimens. Huge commercial shipments for fishing interests and agriculturists move by truck or train. Worms Ai Food Earthworms live in all parts of the world where conditions are favorable. They have been found at 15,000-foot elevations in the Andes Mountains. In Au stralia worms sometimes grow 10 feet long as compared to the 10 inch whopper of the United States. Some peoples, including the Maoris of New Zealand, use worms for food. Twin-tailed African earth worms have been raised at the New York Zoological Park as feed for duckbilled platypuses. The double-tailed kind occurs perhaps once among every 500 of the creatures. One of the worms' outdoing its own kindred, showed up with three tails. let your eyes feast on these style leaders now at your Ford Dealer's. Treat yourself to a test drive. And, at these honest-to-goodness low monthly payments, let yourself go! You have 30 months to pay. All you need is 30 cash down or trade. And your present car should more than cover the down pay jneriL So why wait Come and get it! osed an recommended factory deJWred price Pricai may vory oy oeeoramg to individual dealer 'i pricing pofiey r STREETS Friday. April 20, 1956 Catfish Take Over For Long-eared Mule Paris, Tenn. CU.R) The balky, long-eared mule used to have its "day" here every spring, but now the fat, tasty catfish has taken over. Farmers who came to town every year to swap tales and mules still come to town to take part in the "world's biggest fish frv." The Fish fry all 3:000 pounds of it helps publicize nearby Kentucky Lake and its fine fish ing, swimming and boating. It will be on April 27. Time was when the mule was the workhorse of the farm and king of the spring celebration here. But farm machines began to take the place of the mules, and a couple of years ago it was decided to make the catfish the big attraction at the spring gathering. There will be lots of pretty girls, bands, a parade, selection of the "queen of the Tennessee Valley" and a dance. Festivities start the day of the fish fry and continue the next day. Also a big event is a 30-day fishing rodeo on Kentucky Lake with anglers out to pull in bream, crappie, bass and other species of fish, as well as the catfish. Bryant Williams, publisher of the Paris Post-Intelligencer, is president of the Chamber of Commerce which sponsors the event. SOUP'S ON Warren, O. (U.R) Restaurateur- Pete Costianes filed a $25,000 suit against Lloyd Cose, who allegedly said "this soup is slop," in front of other custom ers. Costianes said the remark was embarrassing, injured his business and was untrue. Use Tribune Want Ads QUICK and EASYl LAKE EARLY GAME Senator Estes Kefauver, Democratic presidential aspirant, takes in an early, 8 a.m game of checkers at the 3uilding Trades Temple in San Francisco. He is visiting California for the third time on a vote getting tour of the state. His opponent at right is Emil Josephson. Men in Dormitory Relieve Boredom Salt Lake City (U.R) Some enterprising University of Utah men's dormitory residents found a way to relieve the boredom of studies during the winter months. Although the jig is up now, the residents of newly built Bal lif Hall spent a month talking long-distance to everybody from Marilyn Monroe to Mom and Dad at the university's expense. The students found they could get a direct line to a long dis tance telephone operator by dial ing certain numbers on the Bal lif Hall telephone. Through what was termed "mechanical failure," KMTI& the boys started putting through calls to' New York, the Russian Embassy, a Las Vegas hotel and virtually every state in the na tion. One call to Miss Monroe was noted. At the end of the month, the unusual size of the university's phone bill prompted an investiga tion that led to the men's dormi tory and discovery of the "me chanical failure" that allowed the students to dial long distance. The spree is over. The nation's trucks move more petroleum than any other single commodity. PHONE 3-4547 New Set of Scales Measures Moon Weight Boston (U.R) Chubby persons would willingly weigh them selves on a new set of scales at Boston's Museum of Science. A 420-pound circus fatlady, for instance, would tip the scale at a mere 70 pounds. A 186- S0 y For lots of fun this summer . . See our complete line of boats and motors. "sqc-V Prepares the Seed Bed tprV in one Operation 1 The Super-Mustang Tills, Cultivates, Weeds and mulches in one operation. Does a year-round job with 6 Quick-hitch attachments. Exclusive Universal Tines, self -sharpening and guaranteed against breakage. Let us show it to you and demonstrate its operation. im & es w x iw .i. m i ii Built those who want the best HllTf full liie SO" taction (lilt type) blade. Mowi last and clean, Readily accessible for easy sharpening. Cutting height lVs" to 3Vs". 4-cycle 2 HP engine for ample powor. Deck design and wheel alignment prorid two outstanding features. The Cyclo-Mo will trim closer to fences, walls, side walks, curbs, etc., than any other mower. Knife follows natural contour of lawn be cause of position cf offset wheels, and will not SCALP. A specially designed blade and shroud hai desirable leaf mulching action. Now on display. Ask for heo demonstration r hf . . Priced from 5395 S S .ni vsnnctW Q) 0) 7 AT THE pound "lightweight" would reg ister only 31 pounds on the scale specially manufactured by Fair banks Morse & Co. The scales are designed to show what the user would weigh on the moon where, because of the difference in gravity, ob jects on the earth's surface are six times as heavy as they would $ for all yo'" LAWN AND HPBB5 BOATING'S LOTS OF FUN WITH OUR NEW, QUIETER Scott-Ativater with DAIL-A-MATIC I for CHOOSE A SCOTT-ATWATER FOR YOUR OUTBOARDINO FUN I 7Vz HP with BAIL-A-MATIC . $246.00 10 HP with BAIL-A-MATIC ' $316.00 16 HP with BAIL-A-MATIC 1 $368.00 33 HP with BAIL-A-MATIC $479.00 HIGH TRADE We Need BIG Y - MEDFORD, WITH SLIDES U onut The first American fighter squadron to operate in World War I was the 103rd Pursuit squadron, AEF, formed by members of the Lafayette Esca drille. It began operations under control of the French on the Western Front Feb. 18, 1918. Use Mall Tribune Want Ad Dead line for Sunday Classified Is at noon Saturday BOlEliS mmmm Com in and set this new side trimmer, side discharge model. SPECIAL! 18" Rotary Mower Briggs & Strarton Motor Recoil Starter! 5 bp 216 00 7 Terms You'll enjoy wonderfully smooth, quiet rides with, the new Scott-Atwater ... the out board that bails your boat. Bail-a-matic, Hush-Spring Mount, Aquamute Exhaust, . Stowaway Tank, Complete Gearshift, Twist-Grip Speed Control make Scott-Atwater the outboard buy of the year I , - INS ALLOWED! Used Motors! o O) o Li li OREGON 05? 57000 Value I If feP down
