1 6 THE FIRST BOOK OF FARMING 



firmly in place, for they penetrate so thoroughly 

 every part of the soil, and to such distances, that 

 they hold with a grip that makes it impossible to re- 

 move the plant from the soil without tearing it free 

 from the roots. 



It is also on account of this very thorough reach- 

 ing out through the soil that the roots are able to 

 supply the plant with sufficient moisture and food. 



We have doubtless observed that most of these 

 roots are very slender and many very delicate. How 

 did they manage to reach out into the soil so far 

 from the plant? Or where does the root grow in 

 length? To answer this question I will ask you 

 to perform the following experiment : 



Experiment. Place some kernels of corn or other 

 large seeds on a plate between the folds of a piece 

 of wet cloth. Cover with a pane of glass or another 

 plate. Keep the cloth moist till the seeds sprout 

 and the young plants have roots two or three inches 

 long. Now have at hand a plate, two pieces of glass, 

 4 by 6 inches, a piece of white cloth about 4 by 8 

 inches, a spool of dark thread, and two burnt 

 matches, or small slivers of wood. A shallow tin 

 pan may be used in place of the plate. Lay one 

 pane of glass on the plate, letting one end rest in 

 the bottom of the plate and the other on the oppo- 

 site edge of the plate. At one end of the piece of 

 cloth cut two slits on opposite sides about an inch 

 down from the end and reaching nearly to the mid- 

 dle. Wet the cloth and spread it on the glass. Take 

 one of the sprouted seeds, lay it on the cloth, tie 



