PART I. 

 PLANT PRODUCTION 



CHAPTER I. 

 STRUCTURE AND PHYSIOLOGY OF PLANTS. 



The plants produced in field and garden form the food 

 for man and nourishment for his live stock. Parts of plants 

 are useful in the arts, as their oils for paint, their fibers for 

 clothing, and their wood for buildings and fuel. 



The parts of farm plants are broadly considered to be 

 made up of (1) root, (2) stem, (3) leaf, (4) flower, and (5) 

 seed. 



Roots of plants are for three purposes : to hold the plant 

 in place or prevent its blowing away; to take nourishment 

 and moisture from the soil; and to serve as storage places 

 for plant food. 



In growing into the soil the tip of the root forces its way 

 among the soil particles. For this reason there is a root cap 

 or covering over the tip to prevent injury. The growth 

 takes place a Httle back of the tip cap, or covering, at the 

 end of the fine roots. 



Root=hairs are formed on the fibrous roots a little distance 

 from the tips. These are of fine growth, giving a plush or 

 velvety surface to the root. The surface of all these fine 

 hairs is very thin and is much greater in area than the sur- 

 face of the roots. This allows moisture from the soil to pass 

 through into the plant more easily. 



Exercise. — To Show Root-hairs. — Plant a few kernels 

 of corn in moist sand or soil in a bottle with wide mouth 



8 



