hoot. 



lateral branched manner, with many lubdivifions and rami- 

 fications : fpindle-Jl.mped and tapering roots, or thofe winch 

 have oblong thick upper parrs, which taper in a regular 

 gradual manner to the lower extremities : of this nature are 

 the roots of the common radilh, the parfnep, the carrot, and 

 many others : bidbous and tuberous roots, or thofe which have 

 a roundifh, oval, fwelling, bulbous form, and which are com- 

 pofed, in fome cafes, of many fucculent imbricated fcales, and 

 in others, of numerous involving coats, including three diflinct 

 forts, as fcaly bulbs, having the parts lying over one an- 

 other, as in the root of the lily ; tunicated bulbs, which 

 are formed of fcveral different tunics or coats involving each 

 other in a dole manner, as in the onion ; and folid bulbs, as 

 in the tulip ; and thofe which are of a thick, flefhy, knobby, 

 folid, lumpy form, whether of a roundifh, irregularly knobbed 

 or oblong fhape, whether constituted of only one knob, or 

 of feveral collected into bundles : examples of thefe forts 

 are met with in the roots of the potatoe, the Jerufalem 

 artichoke, anemone, pxony, &c. as well as in all thofe 

 which are made up of a folid flefhy fubftance : fibrous and 

 creeping roots, or fuch as are wholly compofed of numerous 

 radical or (lender fibrous parts, and are the molt common 

 fort, efpecially in various defcriptions of herbaceous plants, 

 confiding of roots of the perpendicular, horizontal, fimple, 

 and branched kinds ; fome of which are very thin and fine, 

 like threads, others fomewhat of a flefhy nature ; and fuch 

 as run along immediately under the furtace of the ground 

 to a confiderable length or diltance, emitting and fending 

 forth at certain points fmall fibres below and fhoots at the 

 upper parts : globular and bundled roots, or fuch as have 

 roundifh, flefhy, folid roots of the tuberous defcription, 

 as in the earth-nut, &c. and fuch as are compofed of many 

 fmall, oblong, flefhy kernelly parts or knobs, which are 

 all conne&ed on the upper part, and terminated underneath 

 in radicles or fibres, as in the ranunculus, &c. : thefe are 

 alfo often termed grumous roots : granulous aggregate and 

 pendulous eluflcred roots, or thole which coniill of many 

 roundifh knobs, like grains of corn, the whole of which is 

 congregated together, fo as to form a root ; and thofe 

 which are compofed of feveral roundifh flefhy knobs or 

 tubers, which are ftrung on and fufpended, as it were, at 

 the ends of fibres, as in the afphodel and many others : 

 handed tuberous and tejliculated roots, or fuch as have oblong 

 tuberous forms of them which divide and fpread out like 

 an open hand, and fuch as arc compofed of two roundifh, 

 egg-like, tuberous knobs, united in fomewhat a telticnlated 

 manner : jointed and woody roots, or thofe which are long, 

 thickifh, and jointed at certain dillances ; and thofe which are 

 conftantly becoming of a hard, tough, woody nature, as thofe 

 of moil trees, fhmbs, and under-ihrubs : and downright or 

 tap roots, or thofe which have a main flefhy part, that 

 runs directly downwards in a perpendicular manner, as in 

 the carrot, parfnep, beet, &c. as well as in fome forts of 

 tree6 and fhrubs. 



Garden roots are likewife further divided and diftinguifhed 

 according to the time of their duration or lalting in the foil or 

 ground. In this refpett, there are annual roots, or thofe which 

 continue or endure for one year only, at the fartheft, and 

 then wholly pcrifh and decay, as in all the annual plant kind : 

 biennial roots, or fuch as continue and lall out for two years, 

 or thereabouts, only, after which they entirely decay and 

 are deftroyed ; and perennial roots, or fuch as are of many 

 years' duration or continuance. In fome cafes of this nature 

 both the roots and Items arc perennial, while in others only 

 the former. 



Roots of the garden defcription, for the moll part, pene- 

 trate and infert themfelvcs into the foil or ground, in order 



Vol. XXX. 



to draw and derive nourilhmeut and fupport from it ; but 

 there are fome lew which furm exceptions to this rule, as 

 the root of the millctoe, which attaches and fixes itfelf to 

 the branches or other parts of trees, being inferted between 

 their bark and wood, whence it acquires its means of fup- 

 port, the item proceeding in a downward direction from 

 it, &c. 



In bulbous roots of different kinds, there are great dif- 

 ferences in regard to their habits of growth, in fo far at 

 leaft as relates to the depths which they require to be in 

 the earth or foil ; fome Handing in need of being quite 

 fuperficial, while others neceflarily defcend to confiderable 

 depths below the furface. Thefe circumilances therefore 

 probably require much greater attention in their cultiva- 

 tion than has hitherto been beftowed upon them, in order 

 to procure good roots of fuch kinds. 



The roots of different kinds of garden plants require to 

 be taken up at particular feafons, and to be kept and pre- 

 ferved for ufe in different manners, according to their different 

 natures, and the purpofes for which they are intended. All 

 the roots of the different flower bulb and tuberous kinds 

 may be taken up when the (talks decline towards the end 

 of fummcr, or the beginning of the fucceeding feafon ; 

 they (hould then be rendered perfectly dry by fome gentle 

 means, fuch as expofing them to a dry current of air and a 

 middling degree of heat, when thinly fpread out in a fieve, 

 or lome other convenient manner ; afterwards, when this 

 has been perfectly accomplifhed, they may be put into 

 drawers in dry fituations, or hung up in bags in fimilar 

 places. 



Bulbous culinary roots of the onion kind have been at- 

 tempted to be kept in many different ways, as by laying 

 them thinly in dry rooms, roping them and hanging them up 

 in dry airy places, and burning or charring the root parts 

 of the bulbs ; but they feem not to be capable of being 

 long preferved without fhooting while in the open air, in 

 any way that has hitherto been made trial of in fuch inten- 

 tion. The belt methods of proceeding with them are pro- 

 bably thofe of taking them from the ground after fome dry- 

 weather, expofing them thinly to the fun and air until they 

 are become, in every refpect, perfectly in a Itate free from 

 any fort of mould or moilture, and then either to have them 

 roped and hung up, or fpread out in a thin manner upon a 

 dry boarded floor. The warmth or heat of the fun or fire 

 (hould never be fuffered to penetrate into the places where 

 they arc kept, but they fhould be naturally dry. 



Tuberous roots, fuch as thofe of the potatoe, in the 

 general keeping crop, fhould always be taken up during a 

 dry feafon, and be afterwards, as quickly as poflible, by 

 mild means, made thoroughly dry and free from any mouldy 

 matter that may hang about them, when they may be laid 

 up in any place which is free from damp, taking car- 

 cover them fufficiently thickly with dry ftraw when i I 

 weather is frofty. Roots of the Jerufalem artichoke, and 

 other fimilar kinds, may be preferved in the fame wa\ , 

 but without the ufe of the Itraw, as they do not ftand 

 need of it. 



Perpendicular and tap-roots, fuch as thofe rot, 



parfnep, beet, and Others of the fame flefhy kind, fometimes 

 require to be laid up in order to preicrve them in a |Ui 

 moid (late. This is bell acCOmpUAwd by the ufe 01 dry 

 light fand, or other fimilar materials of a light dry nature, 

 paeking them up in layers one over the ol her, each fort to- 

 gcther, in a feparate manner. In this way they may be well 

 preferved in a Itate fit for conflant ufe. The roots of celery 

 and cardoous may alfo be preferved in the fame way with 

 much fuccefs and advantage when necellarv. 



3 T [t 



