76 Gardening 
Fic. 45. A mustard seedling soon after 
germinating on a blotter. Note the deli- 
cate root hairs. 
These facts explain 
why plants quickly suf- 
fer if they are not pro- 
vided with a continuous 
and abundant supply of 
water. 
How roots are 
adapted for work of 
collecting water. The 
roots are the water- 
gathering organs of the 
plant. To gain an idea 
of how well these organs 
are adapted to their 
work, germinate some 
radish seeds on moist 
blotting paper and ex- 
amine the roots of the 
seedlings as they grow. 
The young growing 
roots are very small, 
brittle, and tender, and 
they quickly dry out 
when exposed tc the air. 
At first there is only a 
primary or first root, 
which ends in a blunt point. It grows rapidly in length, 
and side branches soon develop which are quite like the 
tip of the older root. 
Thus rootlet after rootlet appears until there is a 
much-branched system with many growing ends. As 
