CHAPTER II 

 ROOTS 



USES OF ROOTS TO PLANTS 



OF what use are roots to plants, or, what work do 

 they perform for the plants? 



If the reader has ever tried to pull up weeds or 

 other plants he will agree that one function of the 

 roots of plants is to hold them firmly in place while 

 they are growing. 



Experiment Pull two plants from the soil, shake 

 them free of earth, and place the roots of one in 

 water and expose the roots of the other to the air. 

 Notice that the plant whose roots are exposed to 

 the air soon wilts, while the one whose roots were 

 placed in water keeps fresh. You have noticed how 

 a potted plant will wilt if the soil in the pot is al- 

 lowed to become dry (see Fig. 4), or how the leaves 

 of corn and other plants curl up and wither during 

 long periods of dry weather. It is quite evident 

 roots absorb moisture from the soil for the plant. 



Experiment. Plant some seeds in tumblers or in 

 boxes filled with sand and in others filled with good 

 garden soil. Keep them well watered and watch 

 their progress for a few weeks (see Fig. 5). The 



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