262 



TRANSACTIONS OF THE NORTHERN 



jMt. Skiuuer^ of Marengo , said that there were three Duchess of Oldeuburgs in 

 Iowa, none of them being the true one. 



Mr. Budd, of Iowa, said that they all came from IlUnois originally. Persons plant- 

 ing this variety should be certain of the pedigree of their trees. 



Mr. H. H. McAfee read an essay on Vegetable Physiology. This essay was mainly 

 devoted to an endeavor to show that the accepted theory of spougioles and circulation 

 of sap was, in a measure, erroneous It was listened to with attention, and will 

 doubtless be criticized at some future time by those competent to do so. 



KEPOKT FUOM THE COMMITTEE l)X VEGETAULE PHYSIOLOGY— THE OFFICE OF THE KOOT— 

 LMPltESSIXG THE VITAL FOKCE. UY HEXKY H. M'.U'EE. 



At (iiir last annual nicftin;r, a ilistintruislio'd menilier from Ii)wa (Mv. Foster) raised several ques- 

 tions of an interesting nature in liis essay nanieil " "Errors in Hortienltiire." One iiuestion especially 

 —as to lioAv far the small roots or rootlets were essential to the welfare of the plant in transplanting— 

 has led nie to study more carefully the subject of the ' 'Office of the Itoot, ' ' and the deductions drawn 

 from hotli ex])erience and study are ottered for your consideration. 



The first and most important office of the root of a plant is a mechanical one; it is an "anti niatar"; 

 it is the prop and the anchor by wliich an organism is held to a. i)erinanent place. The proof of the 

 design of its use lies strongly in its form. Either a tlexus of strong cords hinds the plant down, or a 

 tressle of strong and tough props and buttresses braces it up, or a massive central shaft is ready to 

 resist force from any side. 



The root is strangely impatient of motion. Wliile tlie stem and the brandies are swayed to and fro 

 by the wind, and are not injured by the motion— are, it may be, benefited thereby— the root, in its 

 normal condition, is motionless in the soil, and experience has itroved that every flexure or contrac- 

 tion is a ilamage to it. This is a fact too little known, and where known, too little practiced upon. 

 Most ])ersons who have to do with packing or planting, are in the habit of treating roots in the same 

 manner as twigs, bending them temporarih- or i^ermanently without thinking much of their structure 

 or habits. 



Whether we take the strawberry or the si)ruce from its native bed, e^ery time we Ijend a root we 

 inflict an injury upon the plant, and the injury is in proportion, greater or less, as the root is bent 

 more or less out of its natural direction, or as the flexure is more or less permanent. If the plant is 

 setwitliits roots bent or twisted, it is in a much worse condition than if they were cut off. for the 

 contorted root may become an ever present disease, while if cut ott' its place will probalily be filled 

 with new and healthy roots. 



When Uiteral roots strike oft at right angles with their mains, it is very ilifficull to bend them 

 much without rupturing and disorganizing the cell tissues at their axis. Carefid examination has 

 always shown some injury at such jxiints: some packed trees showing a liruised and discolored 

 appearance at the base of e^•ery lateral root. 



Hence in many cases Mr. Foster's plan of removing the root liranches would be a good plan, 

 because the injured roots would injure by their ])reseuce. 



The second office of the root is both mechanical and chemical. It is a feeder, taking up the food liy 

 simple imbibition of ready formed materials in Its immediate presence, and also acting as a chemical 

 agent to decompose compounds which are partly made up of sutistances reijuired by the plant. 



Tills latter capacity of the root, tliougli not conceded liy all writers, is nevertheless based upon 

 sufficient evidence to warrant us in accepting it as ])roven fact. That tlie root extracts food from the 

 soil every one knows. l)ut just what tlie food recpiired and taken u]) is, and just how it is taken up, 

 are the (luestioiis which are before the vegetalile physiologist for solution. 



In the progress of kiiowleilge some very fine theories which have had their day, come to be dis- 

 proved, and have to be abandoned: among tliese exploded theories is the Spoiigiole theory and the 

 theory of the regular circulation of tlie sap. 



Some genius invented the spongiole. an imaginary little root with a spongy tip fnll of little mouths 

 having suspended in them certain little valves which would open to let in the plant food from the 

 earth, or chise to keep out Avliat the ))lant did not want: and the theory would have answered finely if 

 the microscope had not proved it totally false, not so much as the valve of the mouth of tlie spongiole 

 ever having been seen on a root. 



The siioiigiole matter has died hard, IVir only within the year jiast the term, of course carrying its 

 original nieaiiiiig, has been used by some of our writing horticiiltmalists. The other theory, of a 

 regular upward and downward flow of the sa)). based apparently upon the circulation of the blood in 

 animals, is yet a general belief among those who believe at all about vegetable phj siology. 



