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509 



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the plant deprived of the means of sup- 

 port ; that snp which is employed in 

 the formation of new fibres, would 

 have served to increase the size of other 

 parts. 



formed, these early varieties blossom 

 and bear seed as freely as the latter 

 kinds, a flict suggesting many experi- 

 ments in the cultivation of shy-blooming 

 tuberous-rooted flowers. Again, if the 



The quantity of root I have always I blossoms of these later varieties are 

 observed to increase with the poverty i plucked off as they appear, the weight 

 of the soil in which it is growing. A \ of tubers produced will be very mate- 

 root always proceeds to that direction . rially increased. 



where food is most abundant; and from i According to the nsual acceptation 

 a knowledge of this fact, we should be I of the term, the roots of plants do not 

 circumspect in our mode of applying emit excrements, yet it is quite certain 

 manures, according to the crop and ob- that, in common with all the other parts 

 ject we have in view. The soil in my of a plant, they perspire matters difter- 

 own garden being shallow, never pro- ' ing in their amount and composition in 



duced a carrot or a parsnip of any size ; 

 but almost every root consisted of nu- 

 merous forks thickly coated with fibres ; 

 digging two spades deep produced no 

 material advantage, the gardener ap- 



every species. The earth in contact 

 with the tubers of a potato fully ripe 

 contains mucilage, and has the peculiar 

 odour of the root; that in contact with 

 the roots of peas is also mucilaginous, 



plying as usual manure to the surface ; i and smells very strongly of that vegeta- 

 but by trenching as before, and turning 1 ble; and the freshly upturned soil where 

 in a small quantity of manure at the cabbages have been growing, always 

 bottom, the roots always spindled well, ; smells offensively. 



grew clean, and had few lateral fibres. 

 For late crops of peas, which mildew, 

 chiefly from a deficiency of moisture to 

 the root, it is an object to keep their 

 radicuhc near the surface, for the sake 

 of the light depositions of moisture in- 

 cident to their season of growth ; hence 

 it will always be found of benefit to 

 cover the earth over the rows, with a 



MM. Sennebier and Caradori found 

 that if roots of the carrot, scorzonera, 

 and radish, are placed in water, some 

 with only their extremities immersed, 

 and others with their entire surfaces 

 plunged in except the extremities, the 

 former imbibe the water rapidly, and 

 the plants continue vegetating, but the 

 others imbibe no perceptible quantity, 



little well-rotted dung, and to point it 1 and speedily wither. It suggests also 



in lightly. 



the reason why the gardener in apply- 



If it be desirable to prevent the roots I ing water or manure to trees or shrubs, 

 of any plant travelling in a certain di- , does so at a distance from their stems. 



rection, the soil on that side should be [ 

 excavated, and the cavity refilled with 

 sand, or some other unfertile earth,! 

 whilst the soil on those sides of the 

 plant whither the roots are desired to 

 tend, should be made as fertile as is i 

 permissible with its habits. ' 



It may be accepted as a universal 

 maxim, that whatever causes an exces- 



A good rule, for ascertaining the 

 proper distance for such applications, 

 seems to be to make tliem beneath the 

 circumference of the head of the tree ; 

 tor, as M. De Candolle observed, there 

 is usually a relation between that and 

 the length of the roots, so that the rain 

 falling upon the foliage is poured off 

 most abundantly at the distance most 



sive development of root, prevents the j desirable for reaching the extremities 

 production of seed ; and vice versA, the , of the roots. 



productiod of seed, especially in tuber- This explains why the fibrous points 

 ous-rooted plants, reduces the amount of roots are usually annually renewed, 

 of root developed. Thus, frequent and the caudex (or main limb of the 

 transplanting the young plants of the root) extended in length ; by these 

 lettuce, brocoli, and cauliflower, causes means they each year shoot forth into 

 the production of numerous fibrous i a fresh soil, always changing their di- 

 roots,and is found effective in prevent- | rection to where most food is to be ob- 

 the mature plants advancing early I tained. If the extremity of a root is cut 



to seed. 



off, it ceases to increase in length, but 



The early varieties of the potato do j enlarges its circle of extension by late- 

 not naturally produce seed ; but if their i ral shoots, 

 tubers are removed as soon as they are I The roots of plants, unless frozeB, 



