78 Gardening 
Fic. 47. A seedling carelessly pulled wilts 
much faster than one carefully dug up. 
The plant at the left wilted rapidly be- 
cause many of its roots were broken off 
and those remaining were unprotected by 
soil particles. The seedling at the right 
was carefully lifted from the soil at the 
same time; it will remain unwilted much 
longer than the other one. 
Root hairs live for 
only two or three days. 
They die away on the 
older parts of the root- 
let, and new ones are all 
the time developing just 
back of the growing 
root tips. This habit 
makes it necessary for 
the rootlets to keep on 
growing if the plant is 
to be supplied with 
water. 
What happens when 
a plant wilts. When a 
plant has plenty of 
water, the cells are well 
filled and rounded out, 
so that they press 
tightly against one an- 
other and the whole. 
plant stands up firm and 
strong. If the plant 
lacks water, the cells are 
only partly filled and the leaves and other parts of the 
plant wilt and droop. In this condition, to a great 
extent, growth and the manufacture of food stop ; and if 
a garden plant remains wilted continuously for two or 
three days and nights, it generally dies. 
It does not take a plant long to wilt if it is pulled and 
left in the open air. It wilts just as quickly while stand- 
