168 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



to the growth of trees or plants, or are made so by fertilizers or tillage, theu 

 these foraging parties come out from the primary roots and ravage the soil of 

 its fertility. Some have supposed that primary roots have a sort of instinct- 

 ive knowledge as to where and in what direction stores of plant food are to be 

 found. What has given rise to this supposition is the fact that where a par- 

 ticular spot about a tree or plant is very rich in soluble food, there these 

 secondary or adventitious roots are extremely numerous. It is really only a 

 very fortunate "strike" of one of the exploring parties in the orchard, who at 

 once set a force at work to transport the prize to the common camp to be 

 assayed and minted and stamped as Golden Pippin apples or Gold Drop 

 peaches. It is an open question as yet whether all the pabulum which fur- 

 nishes the power of growth to the tree comes through the root from the 

 extreme points or fibers, or whether some portion of it is absorbed all along 

 their surfaces. I am inclined to think that only pure water is thus absorbed 

 in the latter hypothesis, that this office is constant in its operations from 

 year's end to year's end. A tree dug in the fall retaining only a small per 

 cent of its fibrous growth will, if buried in damp earth, continue to send up 

 sufficient moisture, even in winter, to })re3erve the life of the tree. But if 

 for any cause the ground becomes dry the tree dries up and is dead. 



TRANSIENT CHARACTER OF THE SECONDARY ROOTS. 



There is a belief, which is very widespread, that all the secondary or fibrous 

 roots should be carefully preserved at planting and that these are the life of 

 the tree. I believe this to be a fallacy. These roots were thrown out from 

 the primary stock to bring the tree to its present state and stature; but the new 

 life and growth which the tree will soon take on is only stimulated by new shoots 

 that come out from the radicles. This is true only of deciduous trees. 

 Evergreen trees put out new shoots from the fibers very readily an 1 their 

 growth during the year is more constant. During June and July our fruit 

 trees make nearly their whole growth for the seasjn unless stimulated to an 

 extra effort later on. During this period of active growth the roots are 

 sending out new feeders in all directions. They come up toward the surface, 

 and lick up the sap from decayed vegetation, and rob the green herbage of 

 all its sustenance. Shear all these off with a sharp plow, up comes another 

 robber horde, as voracious as the vanquished ones. Neither the height of 

 the tree, nor its spreading branches, is any rule to govern the extent of this 

 root foraging ground. In barren lands the roots must go further in quest of 

 supplies to keep the parent tree in vigorous growth, while on rich soil the 

 tree is provided for within a smaller area. After the yearly growth has 

 ceased and the buds have refined, the roots start a new system of organic 

 existence in the tree. They begin at once to store up in the little channels 

 or grain of the wood, an elixir composed of starch and sugar, and indigenous 

 gums, laid from the base of every exposed and doruiant bud, along every 

 channel, checking it with a concentrated pabulum that shall quicken the 

 bud into life and leaf at the upflow of sap in spring and start the germinal 

 roots for another summer's campaign. This combination of material thus 

 stored up, is similar in composition to the several coatings around the germ 

 in a kernel of wheat or corn ; and as these need only heat and moisture in 

 the ground to start the shoot upward and the rootlet down, and become food 

 while the plant is seeking other sustenance, so the same elements stored up 



