MANUAI. OF NATUES STUDY. 51 



and pushed through board curbing and brick walls 

 to reach the water in open wells. 



In 1898, at Harry Pierce's residence on Silver 

 Heights, overlooking New Albany, the four-inch 

 waste-pipe of fire-brick tiling, solidly cemented at 

 joints, became completely obstructed by a solid 

 mass of willow roots, so that the water could no 

 longer find a (passage. On examination, it was 

 found that these roots penetrated the cement and 

 entered the pipe through these joints. The tree it- 

 self stood several feet away from the tiling and as 

 much as five feet above. From this, and from 

 many other instances already on record, it is evi- 

 dent that the roots are faithful to their trust as 

 water carriers. They bare their backs, so to speak, 

 and even heave up brick pavements, in their frantic 

 efforts to obey the will of the superintendent of the 

 seed factory. 



Let the children narrate instances in their own 

 experience, and bring reports from the parents in 

 regard to the energy of the roots. Call attention 

 to the fact that the large roots provide themselves 

 with tiny root-hairs to suck the moisture out of 

 the very fine particles of dirt ; in this way the 

 dirt itself is screened back, thus providing the 

 factory with pure, clean water, — a wonderful filterl 



Use the hand lens to see the root-hairs on wheat 



