THE ROOT-TIP. 31 



hood, and he experienced exquisite pleasure in the reflection that 

 it might be the means of saving the lives of his fellow-men. The 

 ideal of duty which ought to be present in the mind of every man 

 of science may well be higher than that growing out of mere self- 

 ish pleasure in the acquisition and possession of knowledge. 



Perhaps it is hardly becoming in me, at this time and in some 

 sense representing this large body of scientific men, to make even 

 a simple remark in criticism of the general public, the party 

 of the second part in the question which we have considered to- 

 night. I venture to suggest, however, that whenever the public 

 is disposed to consider its obligations to Science and her votaries, 

 there are some things which must not be forgotten things so im- 

 portant and so numerous, indeed, that many volumes would be 

 inadequate to their enumeration. Prove this by comparing the 

 world ivith science with the world without science. Take as an 

 illustration that which less than two hundred years ago was but a 

 spark, a faint spark, exhibited on rare occasions by the scientific 

 man of that time. With this spark, thanks to science, the whole 

 world is now aflame. Time and space are practically annihilated ; 

 night is turned into day ; social life is almost revolutionized, and 

 scores of things which only a few years ago would have been pro- 

 nounced impossible, are being accomplished daily. Many mill- 

 ions of dollars of capital and many thousands of men are engaged 

 in the development of this agent, so purely a creation of science 

 that the Supreme Court of the land has already declared that it 

 has no material existence. Surely science, which has brought us 

 all these blessings, together with thousands besides, is worthy of 

 every care and consideration at the hands of a generous and ap- 

 preciative public. 







THE ROOT-TIP. 



By FKEDEEICK LEEOY SARGENT. 



IT is only within recent years that botanists have realized what 

 a wonderful organ the root has at its tip. Text-books which 

 were in use twenty-five years ago give but little more upon the 

 subject than the statement that at the extremity of each rootlet 

 is a minute, sponge-like organ, called the spongiole, by means of 

 which the plant absorbs moisture from the ground. As long ago, 

 however, as 1837, Ohlert* showed that if this so-called spongiole 

 be cut off from a young root, and the wound covered with water- 

 proof varnish, absorption takes place quite as well as before the 

 operation ; and he expressed the opinion that the true organs of 

 absorption are numerous delicate hairs which form a velvety 



* Linnaea, 1837. 



