Sir,

I write this at the urgent request of a friend who assured me that you would feel interested to hear of my little experience with earthworms.—

I have a garden at the back of my house and in the centre of it there is a plot of 48 feet by 17—which, in spite of various attempts to grow grass on, I cannot succeed in making look nice & green,—as I see the grass in my neighbours’ gardens.

For some time I observed an unusual quantity of those little curly mountlets which earthworms throw up and, as the grass was getting scarcer and scarcer, I saw these earthworms in great numbers, covering the plot.—

A friend of mine told me that Perchloride of Mercury was the best remedy for this evil, as it destroyed the worms without injuring the grass.—

It was towards the beginning of October that I commenced operating on my lawn and I went about it as follows.

I dissolved 4 Ounces of Perchloride of Mercury in a Quart of boiling water and mixed it with 20 to 30 Gallons of cold water.—¹ I then watered the lawn and the effect was simply amazing

No sooner had I thrown the water on when,—before even the watering can was emptied,—the worms appeared.— They were crawling out by the hundreds and from their wriggling & turning about I must conclude that they were in great agony.

I gave the plot of ground a watering from time to time during three weeks or so and, from a computation I made, I must have picked up something like 8000 worms—which is about 10 worms per square foot.—

My friend was right when he said I would kill the worms but he was wrong when he told me I would not injure the grass.— I have no grass to speak of now, but I mean to sow it in spring,— with what result remains to be seen.—

I have since heard that You published an article in the Times some months ago in which You demonstrated that worms are an important factor in the economy of nature and I must confess I feel half sorry I destroyed them in my garden,—but as my lawn was not getting on at all with them, I thought I should give it a trial without them.

May I ask You Sir to let me know the number of the Times in which Your article appeared as I should very much like to read it.—²

Excuse my liberty in addressing You at such a length on a subject which possibly may not be interesting enough to You, but which certainly to me and my friends was very curious.

I remain | Sir | Your’s very respectf^y | N. Krohn