ROOT. 



have likewife fmall annual tubercles to their roots, by which 

 thefe plants are enabled better to fupport the eafual priva- 

 tions of a barren, dry toil. The knobs of Paeonies and 

 Splitta Fdip-ndula are perennial, and analogous to bulbs. 

 Ih the Orchis family they are biennial, whether (imply oval, 

 hand-(haped, or fafciculated ; for in each cafe the plant 

 ofthefeafon lives on that portion of its root which was 

 formed during tiie preceding year, and meanwhile makes a 

 new pair of knobs, or bulbs, to bloflom in the following 

 fummer,or at leaft to produce herbage, whether circumllances 

 may admit of flowers or not. There is realoTi to believe thai 

 certain fpecies of this family, as the Linnaean Ophrys fpiralis, 

 often produce a mere tuft of leaves, without (lowering at 

 all, for many fuccellive years, in fpots which, in favourable 

 feafons, are profufely decorated and perfumed with that 

 charming lit tl<- flowed 



6. Radix bulbofa, a Bulbous Root, is often folid, as in the 

 common Crocus, and its near relations Ixia, Gladiolus, the 

 fplendid Tigridia, &c. In the Onion tribe, the bulbous 

 root confitts of concentric layers, enveloping one another, as 

 alio in the more folid root of the Tulip. The Lily has a 

 fcaly bulb, exa&ly analogous to the laft ; but as the leaves 

 of this plant are narrow, and in fome meafure whorled, not 

 ffieathing, like thofe of the Onion and Tulip, the layers of 

 its roots, having the clofeft affinity to leaves, affumc a limilar 

 arrangement. The (trie! analogy of fuch coated or fcaly 

 bulbs with leaf-buds, indeed one might almoll fay their 

 identity, appears from the fcaly axillary buds of the Orange 

 Lily, and other fpecies, formed on the upper part of the 

 item, which, falling to the ground, become actual bulbous 

 roots, without any transformation. Similar buds in Dcn- 

 taria become, by a (light alteration, the tuberous fcaly root 

 proper to that genus. The conftitution of bulbous roots is 

 admirably fuited for plants inhabiting hot fandy countries, 

 fubjeft to long drought. After flowering, their withered 

 herbage ferves like wings to difperfe them far and wide, till 

 the tirlt rains caufe them to fix their fprouting radicles in 

 the moiftened foil, where they fpeedily put out frelh leaves 

 and blofloms, during the favourable feafon ; after which 

 their life and energy are locked up again in the bulb, or 

 perhaps multiplied in feeds, for the fucceeding year. The 

 feeds of the Ixia and Gladiolus families are no lefs ad- 

 mirably adapted to the circumllances of their fandy and 

 windy country ; fuch as are winged being readily wafted, 

 and the large polifhed round kinds, as extenfively rolled, over 

 the open defarts which they are appointed to adorn. 



7. Radix arliculala, or granulata, a Jointed or Granulated 

 Root, does not effentially differ from a fcaly bulb. The 

 Wood Sorrel, Oxulis AcetofcUti, for inllance, has, as it were, 

 a fcaly bulb, pulled out into an oblong form, and connected 

 by a thread ; while the Saxifraga granulata has a feries of 

 fubterraneous buds, like folid bulbs. S, cernua and lulii- 

 fera have axillary bads, formed on their items, like Denlaria, 

 which become granulated roots. 



The object of Nature is nearly the fame throughout all 

 thefe feemingly different productions ; to eftablifh a rclervoir, 

 in which the vital force of the plant, as well as its materia] 

 refources, are ftored up ; till the former is flreiigthcned, in 

 confequencc of fufpended action, and the latter are matured 

 by relt. Such afliftance is occasionally aflorded to plants 

 whofe roots have naturally hardly any thing of a flelhy fub- 

 ftance, whenever they are expolcd to danger from viciflitude, 

 or from interrupted fupplies. Thus grades with fibrous 

 roots, accidentally ftationed in a foil too dry or fluctuating, 

 have a power of becoming bulbous. For the fame reafon, 

 bulbous roots, when defired to be had in great liy.c or per- 

 fection, fliould iirit be fupplied with plentiful nourifliincnt, 



and then be checked in the too luxuriant growth of their 

 herbage. By fome treatment of this kind, exotic bulbs, 

 which feldom afford flowers in our gardens or doves, becaufe 

 of the uniformity of their languid exiltence, may perhaps be 

 made to bloffom more frequei tly than they do. Sudden and 

 abundant fupplies of heat, food, or moiflure, and as hidden 

 checks of one or the other, at the difcretion of the culti- 

 vator, are likely to have this effect. In general, an inter- 

 ruption of the luxuriance of a root, favours its production 

 of flowers and of feeds. The latter are feldom perfected in 

 the more luxuriant forts of Mint, except by greatly re- 

 training the growth of the roots, in a garden-pot, dry 

 border, or Otherwife. The bulbous lilies will often form 

 feeds, if their buds are (tripped off, but feldom in their or- 

 dinary flate of culture. 



A juft attention to the nature and conltitution of each 

 different kind of root, will teach us to underftand its belt 

 mode of cultivation, tranfplantation, &c. and will account 

 for thofe general pra&ices, founded 011 experience, which 

 are too well known to require illultration here, and properly 

 come under the notice of the agricultural and gardener. 



Root, in Hujhandry, the lower part of a plant, or that 

 which is in the ground, and by which it adheres to the 

 earth, draws its nourifhment, and tranfmits it to the other 

 parts. For the method of clearing lands from the roots of 

 trees, under-wood, &c. fee Reclaiming Lands. 



It may be noticed, that the roots of plants are of ufe to 

 them principally in two refpedts, namely, to give them lia- 

 bility in the ground, that they may not be difplaced, or 

 blown down by high winds, or other accidents ; and by their 

 fpreading in the ground, for collecting, and perhaps in fome 

 meafure preparing, food for the whole plant. Plants are, 

 however, in part fed or nourifhed from the air, fine vapours, 

 dews, &c. ; which enter by their leaves and branches, but 

 principally by what is abforbed and taken up by their roots : 

 for which reafon the farmer takes infinite pains to prepare 

 the land by tillage and manure, whereby it is opened, pul- 

 verized, and not only made more eafily penetrable for the 

 roots to fpread in, and collect their nourifhment, but rendered 

 more proper for being impregnated with fuch matters, as 

 well as for retaining and conveying them to their fibrous 

 roots in order to be drank up. 



Roots, in the intention of the farmer, may alfo be divided 

 into two forts, namely, perpendicular or tap-roots, which 

 penetrate deep, and run down into the ground, ufually 

 fingly, fuch as carrots, parfheps, and the roots of fome 

 trees, as the oak, &c. And thofe tiiat divide near the fur- 

 face of the ground, and fpread out in it in various direcf ions, 

 which are called horizontal and fibrous roots, and if very 

 fmall, capillary roots. The tap-roots have alfo fibrous 

 roots iffuing from their fides, all round the tap-root ; and 

 thefe lateral roots are longed near the furface of the 

 ground, and gradually fhortcr as the tap-roots defeend 

 deeper into the foil. 



And further, the furfaces of roots are foft and fpongy, 

 more particularly in the fmall or fibrous roots, and thefe are 

 furnifhed with abforbent veffel., the mouths of which drink 

 up the vegetable food, and diftribute it to all parts of the 

 plant. As the large roots are more clofe and hard on their 

 furfaces, it would appear that they are chiefly intended for 

 the fupport and (lability of the plant, while the fibrous 

 roots collett the nourilliment for the fupport of the plant 

 as well as the large roots. The branches of roots are 

 formed with their cxtrciiu end* pointing from the llem of 

 the plant, and hence it appears that roots, when once well 

 formed, do not afterwards increale, or extend further longi- 

 tudinally ; they lengthen at their ends, but not a' their in- 

 mediate 



