Which of the parts of the plant is of greatest importance to the farmer or any plant grower, or to which part of a plant should the plant grower give his best attention?  You will probably mention different parts of the different plants in answering this question.  For instance, some will say, “The seed is the most important part of the wheat plant to the farmer, for that is what the wheat is grown for.”  “The fruit is the most important part of the apple plant for the same reason.”  “The leaves and grain of the corn, the leaves of the cabbage, are the important parts of these plants and should have the best attention of the grower, because they are the parts for which he grows the plants.”  But you must remember that all of these parts are dependent on the root for life and growth, as was brought out in the answer to the last question, and that if the farmer or plant grower desires a fine crop of leaves, stems, flowers, fruit or seeds, he must give his very best attention to the root.  Judging from the poor way in which many farmers and plant growers prepare the soil for the plants they raise, and the poor way they care for the soil during the growth of the plants, they evidently think least of, and give least attention to, the roots of the plants.

Then, in studying our plants, which part shall we study first?  Why, the roots, of course:  To find out what they do for the plant, how they do this work, and what conditions are necessary for them to grow and to do their work well.

CHAPTER II

ROOTS

USES OF ROOTS TO PLANTS

Of what use are roots to plants, or, what work do they perform for the plants?

If the reader has ever tried to pull up weeds or other plants he will agree that one function of the roots of plants is to hold them firmly in place while they are growing.

=Experiment.=—­Pull two plants from the soil, shake them free of earth, and place the roots of one in water and expose the roots of the other to the air.  Notice that the plant whose roots are exposed to the air soon wilts, while the one whose roots were placed in water keeps fresh.  You have noticed how a potted plant will wilt if the soil in the pot is allowed to become dry (see Fig. 4), or how the leaves of corn and other plants curl up and wither during long periods of dry weather.  It is quite evident roots absorb moisture from the soil for the plant.

=Experiment.=—­Plant some seeds in tumblers or in boxes filled with sand and in others filled with good garden soil.  Keep them well watered and watch their progress for a few weeks (see Fig. 5).  The plants in the garden soil will grow larger than those in the sand.  The roots evidently must get food from the soil and those in the good garden soil get more than those in the poorer sand.  Another important function of plant roots then is to take food from the soil for the plant.