THE PARTS OF A PLANT AND THEIR WORK 15 
Are there any joints in it? If branches are present, do 
they arise from any definite regions? 
Note thickness and strength of the stem. How much 
straight pull will it withstand? How much supporting 
strength has it? Is it easily bent sidewise? Is it brittle? 
The leaves.—Are leaves many or few? Large or small? 
How attached to the stem? Does the flattened part join 
the stem, or is there a leafstalk (petiole) which joins it? 
Draw. 
Note the color of the leaf. Compare the color on both 
surfaces. Observe the veins in the leaf and how they 
branch. 
Examine a number of plants with reference to these 
points, and make notes and sketches showing any variations 
from the plant just studied. 
LESSON III 
The roots 
Materials——A week or more before this lesson is to be 
studied put a few grains of corn, wheat, and oats on wet 
blotting-paper, in damp sawdust, and in clean damp sand; 
cover carefully, and set in a warm place. Have at hand a 
few thrifty potted sunflower plants, and some rubber and 
glass tubing about the size of the plant stems in diameter. 
Study of the root-hairs——On the seedlings growing on 
paper observe the numerous root-hairs. Are they equally 
distributed over all parts of the roots? Examine some of 
the older roots and see whether root-hairs persist as the 
roots become older. What is their general form? Their 
length? Draw roots and root-hairs of a specimen of each 
kind of seedling. Remove carefully a specimen of each from 
the sawdust or sand, allowing the particles to adhere to the 
roots. Compare root-hairs in number, distribution, and 
form with the specimens already examined. How are the 
