68 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



and oil that make up so large a portion of the grain, and for 

 which the crop is grown, were prepared by the mother- 

 plant to nourish its offspring dnring the initial growth. It 

 is food put up in close quarters and in fine form near at 

 hand, to he used hy the young corn-plant until it l)ecomes 

 established in the soil and air and is al)le to shift for itself. 

 The softening of the starch and its transfer into tiie growing 

 embrjo are among the leadinu^ chemical and vital processes 

 effected in that early period of plant growth covered by the 

 term germination. By the time the hot days of early sum- 

 mer reach us, the thrifty corn-plant has developed a large 

 root system; the stem is elongating rapidly, and leaf after 

 leaf unfolds and hungs in graceful curves. This giowth is so 

 rapid on the best corn days that some im;iginative i)ersons 

 have stated they have both seen and heard the work pro- 

 ijress. At a later sta^e of growth a whorl of loots is frc- 



o Co 



quently thrown out from the first joint above the soil, which 

 take an oblique direction toward the earth, where they enter 

 and assist in gathering nourishment, and also aid in firmly 

 suppoiting the tall and heavily laden stalk. 



All agricidtural plants are made up of three leading sys- 

 tems or members — the root, stem and leaf. The stem has its 

 position between the roots and leaves ; that is, the stem sys- 

 tem stands betw^een and separates in S[)ace, but bodily 

 unites, the root system and leaf system of all common 

 plants. In a large tree these systems are vast and com- 

 plicated ; but in our corn-plant there is comparative sim- 

 plicity in them all. 



The food that nourishes a growing plant enters it either 

 in the form of a liquid or a gas. With the roots it is mostly 

 as a liquid, water being the common solvent and vehicle of 

 absorption. This water, containing the compounds of 

 potash, phosphoric acid, nitrogen, lime, magnesia, sidphur, 

 iron, chlorine, etc., is taken in through the many fine branch- 

 inir roots and rootlets. The absorbing area of the roots is 

 very much increased by the vast number of fine tubular 

 elongations of the surface cells, called root hairs. It is from 

 the presence of these hairs that the earth clings so closely to 

 the fine roots of a corn-plant when carefully lifted from the 

 soil. Though seemingly very delicate, these almost micro- 



