ROOT. 



termediate parts, for if they did, the branches, being left 

 behind, would be drawn back, with their ends pointing to- 

 wards the item ; but they are conftantly found in a con- 

 trary pofition, with their ends pointing in a direction from 

 the item. If a root is cut it extends no farther in length, 

 as already obferved, but new roots are formed near the cut 

 end of the i;ld root ; two or more new or young roots 

 being formed in the room of the former old one. Hence 

 the fibrous roots of plants are multiplied by cutting them 

 with a fpade or hoe ; and this is often a great benefit to the 

 plant. The pores of the fibrous roots are the mouths of 

 the abforbent veffels, by which the whole plant is fed, and 

 the more they are multiplied the more nourifhment they 

 colled for it. 



And thus a plant that naturally extends its roots to a 

 confiderable diftance, is in danger of being killed by tranf- 

 planting, unlefs it is alfo furnifhed with fibrous roots, which 

 mult be carried with it to the new ground ; or new ones 

 mult be formed to make the plant thrive. Hence it is that 

 plants which have long Itraggling roots are removed with 

 difficulty ; but plants of the fame kind and age, and that 

 grow in the fame ground, are tranfplanted witii fafety arid 

 fuccefs, if they have been previoufly dug round with a 

 fpade, whereby their fibrous roots have been cut and multi- 

 plied, fo that they rife with a ball of earth adhering to 

 them. 



Befides, there is a communication between the different 

 roots of a plant, as when fome of them are well nourifhed 

 the others are benefited thereby. If fome of the roots ot 

 a plant be laid ip dry earth or fand, and others in water, 

 the latter will furnifh the dry roots with water fufficient 

 to keep them and the earth about them moift, fo long as 

 they have a fupply of water ; it is for this reafon that deep 

 rooting plants are little affected by drought ; the tap-roots 

 finding moilture below, fend fome of it up to the roots near 

 the furface ; for which reafon, alfo, lucern and faintfoin 

 flourifh in dry hot weather, in which common grafs, and 

 other fibrous-rooted plants, that do not defcend deep, are 

 fcorched and burnt up. And as roots communicate moif- 

 ture to each other, they therewith alfo communicate nourifh- 

 ment ; for it is found by experience, that drilled plants, 

 well hoed on each fide of a row only, are better nounlhed 

 than fown plants Handing at equal diftances, or upon an 

 equal furface of ground with the drilled, and not hoed. 

 Befides thefe forts of roots, fome kinds of grain, as that 

 of wheat, have them double, or what may be termed two 

 fets ; the firfl coming directly from the grain or feed, while 

 the latter fhoots fome time afterwards from the top or crown. 

 Hence they are denominated feminal and coronal roots. The 

 feminal root is, Dr. Hunter fays, pufhed out at the fame 

 time with the germ, which, together with the farina, nouriihes 

 the plant during the winter, before the crown and coronal 

 roots are formed. But that in the fpring, when the crown 

 has become fufficiently large, it detaches a number of ftrong 

 fibres, which pulh themfelves obliquely downwards. Thele 

 are the coronal roots ferving to nourifh the plant till it 

 arrives at maturity. And he adds, that a fmall pipe pre- 

 ferves the communication between them and the feminal 

 roots. This makes an efTential part of the plant, and is 

 obferved to be longer or fhorter, according to the depth 

 that the feed has been buried. But on the contrary, it is 

 remarkable, that the crown is always formed juft within the 

 furface. Its place is the fame, whether the grain has been 

 fown deep or fuperficial. And that a* the increafe of this 

 fort of grain depends upon the vigarous abforption of the 

 coronal roots, it is obvious why they fix themfelves fo near 

 the furface, where the foil is the molt rich, and contains 



the largeft proportion of nutritious fubllances. It is . 

 evident, that as this fort of grain mult be expofed to tin 

 feverity of the winter feafon, its roots are admirably dif- 

 pofed to withltand its effects. 



It is evident, that thefe facts, and thofe connedted with 

 the nature of the roots of different plants of the graf- 

 kind, lead to many important confederations in the practice 

 ot the farmer, and fully ihew the necellity as well as utility 

 of his being perfectly acquainted with the nature, form, 

 and mode of growth of the roots of fuch plants as have 

 been introduced into the field culture. 



All thofe forts of fleihy roots which run to a confider- 

 able depth in the ground, as is the cale with the carrot, 

 parfnep, beet, mangel wurzel, liquorice, and fome others 

 of the fame nature, conitantly require a great depth of 

 cultivation and tillage to fecure good and full crops. And 

 the various lefs flefhy roots, which run deeply in the earth, 

 fuch as thofe of beans, hops, parlley, red clover, lucern, 

 faintfoin, and many forts of grades, as well as the common 

 and Swedifh turnip, &c. alfo Hand in need of a rather fine 

 and deep preparation of the foil in order to afford equal 

 and full crops. 



Among the grain kinds of crops, wJieat, from the nature 

 of its root, demands the deepeft and finelt tillage ; but nei- 

 ther this nor aiiy of the others require any great depth of 

 ploughing merely on that account, as the roots always 

 tpread out very near the furface. The fame is the cafe with 

 moil of the cabbage forts, yet the land fliould always be 

 well prepared for them. 



Much difference of opinion has been entertained by dif- 

 ferent inquirers reipecting the caufe of the co;'.(lant down- 

 ward direction of roots and the upward growth of items. 

 Some have fuppofed it to depend on the quality of the fap 

 juice which circulates within them ; others have, with 

 greater ingenuity and plaufibility, afierted it to be owing to 

 the living principle or power in them, and the itimulus of 

 the air and moifture upon different parts of them. And 

 more lately, and with it ill greater probability, it has been 

 attributed to circumftances of a mechanical nature, as de- 

 pending on the principle of gravity. This notion has been 

 beautifully lllultrated and explained by the experiments of 

 Mr. A. Knight, by placing moiftened beans in favourable 

 iituations for vegetating upon the circumferences of wheels 

 moving with different degrees of velocity in vertical and 

 horizontal pofitions. 



The roots of large old trees, which have been felled, are 

 often got out of the ground in a cheap convenient manner 

 by blalting or blowing them with gunpowder, by means of 

 a boring auger contrived for the purpoie. See Blasting. 

 Roots, in Gardening, are of many different kinds, which 

 vary confiderably in their nature. They moitly confiil of a 

 flock, or thick main part, which Itrikes into the earth or 

 foil, and of fibrous or thread-like parts, which terminate, 

 and are lent oft from different portions of it, fpreading 

 themfelves to great diltances in the ground, for the purpoie 

 of collecting the nourifhment and lupport of the particular 

 plant. 



The peculiarities of ftruct ure, and the direction in the 

 flock parts of roots, have led to feveral diftinctions in regard 

 to their kinds. 



In this way we have perpendicular and horizontal roots, or 

 thofe which defcend and run down into the earth or foil 

 in a ftraight downward direction ; and thofe which run 

 or pafs along under the furface of the ground in a fuper- 

 ficial tranfverfe maaner : Jimple and compound or iranc/xd 

 roots, or fuch as are perfectly fingle, and without any fort 

 of fubdivifion in their parts, and fuch as are di-vided in a 



lateral 



