1857.] The Root. 101 



Roots are of various forms, and differ, as to the length of their 

 duration ; as regards their shape, they may be arranged in four 

 principal classes, namely : the tuberous, like the potato ; the fibrous, 

 formed of small threads, that spread at short distances into the soil, 

 like those of wheat ; the bulbous, resembling the onion in shape ; 

 and the tap rooted, the most of which are fusiform, such as the beet, 

 carrot, parsnip, etc. From these four kinds, all other varieties may 

 be said to diverge. In regard to duration, roots may be divided into 

 two classes. Annual roots, those that perish after having borne 

 seeds, as corn, carrots, beets, etc. ; Perennial roots, those that live 

 an indefinite number of years, as those of shrubs and trees. An an- 

 nual plant may often be rendered perennial, by preventing its ripen- 

 ing its seeds, or transplanting it from a colder to a warmer, or more 

 congenial climate. 



On receiving a list of seeds, recently from Syria, there was among 

 the kinds, our castor bean, which our contributor stated grew to be 

 a tree in that country, a foot or more in diameter. 



There is another interesting property of roots which we would 

 here notice ; the power they have in perforating the compact earth, 

 insinuating themselves where we would hardly suppose the delicate 

 fiber line could penetrate ; thus, fibrous roots of wheat, have been 

 traced to the depth of five feet, and the roots of trees over forty feet 

 in depth. Of course this remarkable property is not without a pur- 

 pose, and of this purpose there need be no guess work. On examin- 

 ation of some seedling apple trees, of last year's growth, the de- 

 scending axis was found equal to the ascending, with a marked uni- 

 formity. And as a general principle, the roots of a tree will be found 

 to correspond in size, and vigor, and extent, with the ascending axis 

 and its appendages. 



It is hardly necessary here to add, that those plants that are cul- 

 tivated for their roots are of vast utility, not only as food for man, 

 but forage for animals. The cultivation of the potato, the beet and 

 the turnip, have been of incalculable advantage to earth's teeming 

 millions, and more than once saved large portions of the human 

 family from the horrors of famine. It is stated by Mr. Prince, of 

 Flushing, Long Island, that China could not support her vast pop- 

 ulation for a single year without the product of that prolific esculent, 

 which he is so zealous to add to our present number — the Diasco- 

 rea Badatas. The American farmer is not sufficiently alive to the 

 value of root crops, for forage, for food, and for the preservation and 

 improvement of his soils. 



