Roots and Their Environment 



191 



U. S. Forest Service 



FlG. in. Live-oak tree draped with Spanish moss. This epiphyte, which is 

 common along the Gulf Coast, has no roots. It is a flowering plant belonging to 

 the Bromelia family. 



ported many miles, and replanted successfully. Even whole 

 hedgerows several feet in height are transplanted without 

 injury. This advance in the art of tree moving is a fine ex- 

 ample of the application of a knowledge of root physiology 

 to practical problems. 



We have learned that the absorbing part of the roots is 

 mostly in the root-hair zone near the root tips. Formerly 

 when a tree was dug up for transplanting, all the roots were 

 cut off 3 or 4 feet from the base of the stem. This operation 

 destroyed practically all the absorbing organs, and the tree 

 could not absorb water from the soil until a new set of roots 

 had developed. Meanwhile it suffered from extreme drought 

 and not infrequently died. 



