10 THE PRACTICE OF THE 



parts, is flexible, fuitable to all forts of 

 plants, and profitable to cultivate. 



The roots of plants are of different degrees 

 of ftrength. Beans and oats penetrate into 

 clofe ftrong land, better than barley ; and 

 tap-rooted plants pufh their tap-roots deep in 

 the ground ; but their lateral or fide roots, as 

 of carrots, are (lender and weak ; yet are the 

 carrots or tap -roots nou rimed by the .weak 

 lateral roots ; for when the weak lateral roots 

 are able to penetrate and extend, as in light 

 fandy foils, the tap-roots alfo grow ftrong 

 and penetrate deep into the ground ; but in 

 Itrong foils, where the lateral roots are con- 

 fined by the hard, clofe earth, and they can^ 

 not collect much nourishment, the tap-roots 

 alfo fuffer, and are unable to penetrate deep 

 into the ground. If carrots are in itrong 

 land, their lateral roots cannot extend and 

 collecl: nourifhment for the plant, which then 

 declines ; but if the ftrong land is lightened, 

 and kept open by good hoeing, not only the 

 weak, lateral roots are at liberty to range for 

 food, but the carrots, or tap-roots, are there- 

 by fo much ftrengthened, that they penetrate 

 into the earth below, even though it remains 

 .hard, and deeper than it is opened by the 

 ' plough. 



Jt appears, in this and in many other cafes, 



that plants receive their nourishment princi- 



i pally by means of their fibrous or fmall roots; 



but whence are the roots fupplied with this 



nourifh- 



