even into the most difficult places. You h-Ave noticed that roots 

 are very pliable — easily bent or twisted ; in fact, not unlike threador cord. 

 It the reg^ion of growth were some distance back from the tip, the root 

 '1<I would have the same trouble pushmg- its way through the 

 soil that you would have if you were to try to thread a small 

 needle by holding the thread two or three inches back from 

 the end. I may also tell you, because you cannot see it 

 without a strong microscope, that each root tip has a sort 

 of cap or cushion of cells which protects the true living 

 part of the root in its act of pushing in and out among 

 the particles of soil. Thus, you see, the little roots by 

 being so pliable, by having their growing regions so near 

 FiK.15. Showing the tip, and by having these protecting caps, 

 ''the protectins? are well fitted for growing in the soil. If 

 eapofaroot. ^.^^^ carefully lift a young wheat or other 

 plant from the dry earth, you will notice that each rootlet 

 is coated with particles of soil. These stick closely to 

 the root, and it takes much shaking, and even washing, 

 to remove all of them. Thus you see how closely roots, 

 by means of their fibrous branches and root hairs, 

 come into contact with the particles of the soil in which 

 they grow, and hence they have every chance to get 

 all the food the soil can give them, and, besides, become 

 so securely fastened in place that it is almost impossible 

 to pull some plants out of the earth. You remember 

 that in the very first part of our story we wondered why 

 roots should be so different from leaves, which are also 

 feeding organs of plants. You see now that if roots 

 were shaped like leaves they could never hold so closely 

 to the particles of the soil. 



Roots are certainly wonderfully adapted to their life in 

 the soil, and, although there are many other interesting ,Jjfi„i.*;;.,,tt'pran! 

 things you might learn about them, yet I think you have pulled out of dry 

 learned enough this time to make you take a greater fn^mateV the roots 

 interest in even such things as roots ; and, I hope also, come jn t- oh tact 



° . . , .' , . , with the particles oi 



to make you take a greater mterest m the way m which soil. 

 farmers prepare the soil for the roots to grow in. 



r 



I 



