THE PLANT. 63 



plant that he wishes to grow he can provide for these require- 

 ments in the use of fertilizers. 



Plants are the soil's chief sources of fertilization. Plants 

 collect the elements necessary to their growth and deposit them 

 near the surface of the earth, where they may be of greatest ser- 

 vice to man, in the production of other plants, and in feeding 

 animals. 



A plant is an organic being. In the higher forms of the veg- 

 etable kingdom, plants possess organs known as roots, stem, 

 leaves, flowers and fruit. Each organ has some distinct function. 

 In a perfect plant we have very little difficulty in distinguishing 

 between the roots and the stem. We can readily recognize that 

 there are two parts, that grow in opposite directions, the roots 

 growing downward into the soil and the stem growing upward 

 into the air. 



The organs of the stem have a different function to perform 

 than the roots. In most of our plants, roots have no buds and 

 grow in darkness and often in water, while the part of the plant 

 growing above the soil, requires light and the elements of the 

 atmosphere. 



Forms of Roots. 



Roots In the study of roots we discover that there are 

 many different kinds, but that they may be divided into a few 

 general classes, as follows: 



Taproots, such as the roots of the maple and alfalfa. 

 Fassicled, such as the roots of the sweet potato, dahlia, rhubarb. 

 Fibrous, such as the roots of corn, timothy. 



Functions of Roots. 



These distinctions have important bearings on the science of 

 agriculture. A taproot will force its way far down into the 

 subsoil, and get its nourishment from the lower strata of earth, 

 where there is a greater abundance of material for plant growth, 

 and where there is more soil moisture to resist periods of drouth. 

 Taproots may take the form of the turnip, the carrot, or radish, 

 having a fleshy structure, suitable for food. This is the store 

 of nourishment provided by the biennial plant to be used up 



