JUNE 



IRISH GARDENING, 



91 



Roots and their Functions 



By G. O. Sherrard 



IF a seedling plant be lifted very carefully 

 from the soil it will be found that the 

 soil particles adhere with great tenacity 

 to the parts of the root system close behind the 

 tips of the main root and of the various side 



in soil, these root hairs may be seen as a sort 

 of fur at a short distance behind the tip of the 

 root. Only a small portion of the root is 

 covered with these hairs, for as the root elon- 

 gates the upper hairs die off and fresh ones 

 develop lower down ; the root hair region is thus 

 continually advancing as the root-tip penetrates 

 further into the soil. 



From a p/wtogruph 6>'] ['!'. WimtanUy 



Amelanchikr viLGAKis (The Snowv Mespilus) 



Is a native of Europe, flowering in thi> country in early April. The flowers individually are not large, but are 



produced in such profusion as to entirely justify the popular name. There is no difficulty in cultivating this 



beautiful tree, as it will flourish in any soil of average quality. Like other early-flowering subjects an evergreen 



background enhanc 



2s the beauty of the flowers 



rootlets ; even if the plant be given a gentle 

 shake it will not at once detach the soil particles 

 from these regions. A close examination of the 

 root will reveal the fact that the particles are 

 attached to fine hairs which radiate from the 

 surface of the root in all directions. If the 

 seedling has been grown in moist air instead of 



These root hairs indicate the region of the 

 root where absorption takes place ; in fact, 

 they are themselves special adaptations for the 

 absorption of soil water by the root. 



Under the microscope a root hair may be 

 seen to consist of a finger-like protrusion of one 

 of the cells of the skin of the root into the soil. 



