From J. C. Clutterbuck 13 November 1881
Long Wittenham Vicarage, | Abingdon.
Nr. 13. 1881.
Sir
I read with much interest the notice of your remarks on Worms1
In or about the year 1833 I made an experiment with a view to improve a field of Sandy loam, by a uniform coat of Gault Clay.2 Since that time no manure except that from cattle has been put on the field. From time to time I have examined the soil and find a layer of Clay beneath now 3 inches with a certain degree of regularity all over the field I send by this same post enclosed a specimen of the clay dug from the subsoil at 3 inches, deep— my Bailiff3 tells me that often in the morning, when he has seen the moles working he has very often seen the worms as in terror escaping to the surface before the movement of the moles under ground— I think these facts may interest you
James C. Clutterbuck
CD annotations
Footnotes
Bibliography
Earthworms: The formation of vegetable mould through the action of worms: with observations on their habits. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1881.
Summary
Describes earthworms moving to the surface to escape moles.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-13482
- From
- James Charles Clutterbuck
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Abingdon
- Source of text
- DAR 161: 181
- Physical description
- inc †
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 13482,” accessed on 18 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-13482.xml