THE ROOT. 27 



CHAPTER II. THE ROOT. 



1 . The first thing to make its appearance 

 when a seed germinates is the young root. 

 This is at first usually white and tender, but as 

 it grows older ofcen becomes hard and woody, 

 and covered with a brown bark. It may 

 also increase in thickness to a very consider- 

 able size. 



2. If very young roots are examined they 

 will be found to be clothed with fine down or 

 hairs near their extremities. Owing, however, 

 to the very delicate character of these fine 

 hairs it is not always easy to see them, for 

 they are injured if the young root is at all 

 roughly dealt with. They may be seen to 

 great advantage on the roots of seedlings, 

 preferably of maize, which have been grown 

 in a moist atmosphere. On examining such 

 a root it will be noticed that the apex and 

 the portion immediately behind it is quite 

 bare and smooth ; this, as we shall see 

 later, is the growing region. Then follows 

 a downy -looking portion, the character of which 

 is due to the presence of large numbers of 

 minute root-hairs; this is the absorbing 



