How Seedlings Get Established 



13 



older plants. They are very delicate, 

 and it is better to grow the roots in 

 moist air, to see the many minute 

 root-hairs. On a seedling with root- 

 lets an inch or more long, notice 

 that just back of the tip it is covered 

 with a very fine fuzzy growth. This 

 fuzzy growth is composed of thou- 

 sands of slender tube-like cells, called 

 root-hairs. (Figs. 11 and 12.) 



They are formed near the root's 

 tip. After a time they die. They 

 cannot be found on the root except 

 for a short way from the tip. Unless 

 the soil is very carefully washed from 

 the rootlets, the root-hairs may not 

 been seen. (Fig. 11, B.) 



22. How the Root Absorbs Water. 

 Even though the seedlings that have 

 been growing in sand or sawdust be 

 very carefully washed, much of the 

 adheres to the hairs. (Fig. 12.) The root 



A B 



M 



Fig 12. Root-hairs of corn seedling with 

 soil particles adhering closely. 



Fig. 11. Seedlings of 

 mustard. A t with 

 particles of soil cling- 

 ing to root-hairs. B, 

 after removal of soil 

 by a stream of water. 

 After Sachs. 



sand or sawdust 

 -hairs hold the soil 

 particles to the 

 root. When the 

 roots are growing 

 in moist air, they 

 are straight; but 

 in the soil the 

 hairs apply them- 

 selves very closely 

 to the soil parti- 

 cles. (Fig. 13.) 

 The water ab- 



