THE NUTRITIVE ORGANS OF PLANTS 43 



the roots of a weed or a tree, these roots will be found to 

 extend outward in all directions to a distance even greater 

 than do the branches above ground. When one remembers 

 the tremendous force exerted upon trees by high winds, the 

 necessity for this extensive root anchorage will be evident. 

 In our dissection of the root even of a young plant we found 



FIG. 10. Roots of a tree, showing method of transplanting a large tree. 

 (Courtesy of Isaac Hicks and Sons, Westbury, Long Island.) 



that the central cylinder was composed of tough fibers which 

 are made up of elongated wood-cells (similar to those shown 

 in Fig. 15). As a plant grows older, these central cylinders 

 become so thick and tough that they will resist an enormous 

 strain without breaking. 



58. Adaptations of roots for absorbing and transmitting 

 soil-water. : A second function of roots we found to be that 

 of absorbing soil- water and transmitting it to the stem. The 



