130 Roots 



their roots, and their roots alone. And these roots we 

 must now look at a little more closely. 



A root is a very wonderful organ, much more won- 

 derful than a passing glance would lead one to suppose. 

 And, indeed, the most important parts cannot even be 

 seen, without careful examination. 



The root serves two purposes : it keeps the plant in 

 one place, enabling it to stand against the wind ; and 

 it collects from the soil food and water which the 

 plant can obtain in no other way, and without which it 

 can neither grow nor exist. 



Some plants have a single fleshy root, like that of a 

 carrot, which descends straight into the earth, and has 

 no branches, but only a few fibres growing from it. A 

 carrot needs a good pull to uproot it ; but an onion is 

 easily lifted from the earth, as its roots are only fibres 

 growing from the base of the bulb ; while a dock may 

 resist the full strength of a man. 



Water-plants have few roots, as their food comes to 

 them already prepared, without their having to search 

 for it ; bog-plants have more roots, as they have more 

 work to do ; and land-plants have most of all, as their 

 roots frequently have to explore the earth for a con- 

 siderable distance in search of food. 



In a fertile soil, where there is plenty of food, roots 

 are generally short and much branched. They branch 

 out, in fact, where the food is to be found. But in a 

 poor soil they have to go further to find what they need, 

 and are usually long and slender. 



But the mere mention of so many feet gives no idea 

 at all of the real length of a plant's roots ; for besides 

 the long main roots, there are rootlets innumerable 

 branching from them, and these rootlets, though they 



