46 FACTS Ai;< >l'T R< )< >TS 



offered them, the root hair- soon perish and with them the plant. 

 Continued absorption is only possible so long as the root continues 

 t" grow. For this reason a plant showing signs of starvation is 

 removed from the jar, the tangled mass of roots next to the jar 

 is cui off together with a portion of the earth and then repotted 

 with fresh earth. In this way room is given for the rootlets to 

 grow out into the earth and develop a new absorbing surface and 

 additional materials are placed a1 the disposal of the root. We 

 see now that transplanting of the plant should be done in Sep- 

 tember or < October or in the early spring in order to permit the 

 rootlets with their absorbing surfaces to become established in 

 the soil before the leaves develop and bring aboul an excessive 

 loss of water through transpiration. Why are plants often pruned 

 or cut hack in transplanting? 



You have often noticed that fields of grain and other crops turn 

 yellow and die during a long rainy season. This is due to the 

 fad that the air spaces between the earth particles become rilled 

 with water and there is no longer possible an interchange of gases. 

 At least two-fifths of the space in these capillary pores should 

 be filled with air to ensure healthy plants. This is particularly 

 noticeable in clay soils which arc referred to as cold, wet, and 



SOUr soils. Tin- reason of this is that the earth particles of such 

 soils are very line and consequently compact and the small capil- 

 lary spaces between the mineral particles pull up and hold the 

 water with great tenactity. Consequently acid- from decaying 



tation and ( ( >.. from the r otS as well as water accumulate 

 in excess and render the s"il unwholesome, ("lay soils, while 

 richer in plant foods than Other soils require an admixture "! 



-ami and an adequate drainage to render them sufficiently porous 



for a proper circulation of air. Sandy soils are made ol CO 



particle- and therefore looser. For this reason the capillar) 



water is 11.1t retained for an\ considerable time and the s, >jl js 



properl) aerated, [n judicious Bprinkling of lawns, gardens, "i 



1 plants will result in the formation of a compact surfac. 

 CrUSt. This ait- exactly like a claj -"il and draws the water 

 awa\ from the region of the rOOtS to the surface of the soil where 



it is lost In evaporation. Potted plants are ln-st watered b) stand- 



