CHAP, ill.] TRANSPLANTING. 41 



and the leaves will turn yellow, and look flaccid 

 and unhealthy, while the flowers will be stunted, 

 or will fall off without expanding. 



Transplanting. — The points to be attended 

 to in transplanting are, care in taking up, to 

 avoid injuring the spongioles of the roots; 

 planting firmly, to enable the plant to take a 

 secure hold of the soil ; shading, to prevent the 

 evaporation from the leaves from beino- greater 

 than the plant in its enfeebled state can sup- 

 port; and watering, that it may be abundantly 

 supplied with food in its new abode. The first 

 point is to avoid injuring the roots; and it is 

 only necessary to consider the construction and 

 uses of these most important organs, to per- 

 ceive how impossible it is for the plant to thrive, 

 unless they are in a perfectly healthy state. 

 Roots generally consist of two parts : the main 

 roots, which are intended to act as grappling- 

 irons to enable the plants to take a firm hold 

 of the ground ; and the fibrous roots, which are 

 intended to supply the plant with nourishment. 

 These fibrous roots are most liable to receive 

 injury from transplanting, as they are covered 

 with a very fine cellular integument, so delicate 

 in its texture as to be very easily bruised ; and 

 they each terminate in a number of small pores 

 of extraordinary delicacy and susceptibility, 

 which act as little sponges to imbibe moisture 

 for the use of the plant. It is well known that 

 these spongioles are the principal means which 

 the plant possesses of imbibing food, and that 

 if they should be all cut oft; the plant must 

 provide itself with others, or it will probably 

 perish for want of sufficient nourishment. 



