The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-03-24
Rnnts nfPInnts.

The FadicatiOn of plants, as connect
ed with the subject of tillage, forms an
exceedingly interesting, as well as use
| full, study. 1t serves 10 indicate to the
/ intelligent farmer the mode of culture
best adapted to the particular object
/ which demands his care.
4 Ii appears to be q well-established
fact that the roots of plants-as far at
! least as they have been made the sub
ject of inyestigation-haVe an exten-
sion fully equal to that Of the branches.
The laterals of trees spread themselves
over a surface as vide as the sweep of
the limbs, while the vertical roofs de-
scsul, If there IS no lnpenetrable OBJ
structiOu 10 their t;rogress, to a depth
equal TO the length of the stem. Some
species of trees send out their feeders
to an almost Incredible distance. Yard
trees, such as the yellow locust, Ota-
heite mulberry, and alanthus, invade
the cellars of houses, and penetrate be-
meath stone walls. We have known
the weeping willow to project its radi-
cles 10 the bottom of well ninety feet
in depth.
The case is equally remarkable in re-
spect TO vines. Leaving out of view
those Of a woody nature, We may briefly
refer to the succulent vines Of the gar
den, such as the different varieties of
mellon, squash, and cucumber, the
main laterals of which form as exten-
sive a system as the growth above
ground. And in a prepared soil, the
strawberry will seek for nourishment
three feet below the surface. The
ramihcatiORs of asparagus roots form a
perfect network to great extent,
showing the improperly of crowding
the plants in narrow bed, however
deep and well supplied with manure
Extending our inquiries to the bread |
plants, the developments are no less |
striking and instructive. A grain of |
wheat placed three inches beneath the |
surface of the ground throws out |
bunch Of roots from the point of ger
mination, which sustain the plant for |
brief period, until it acquires sufficient !
strength to form new set about an
inch and a half below the surface; after /
which the old set perishes. This indi-
Gates the depth at which seed wheat /
should be covered, showing plainly that
when the covering is too deep there is
waste of the energies of the plant in
accommodating itself to the conditions
that surround it. In process of time,
the lateral roots of field of wheat Oc-
cupy the upper stratum of the soil; but
those are far from being sufficient to
carry the crop successfully through the
various stages Of its growth TO maturity.
The vertical roots constitute system
of the highest importance The fact
may be deemed incredible to those who
have not investigated the subject, but
1t Is nevertheless true that these roots
sometimes descend several feet into the
subsoil, deriving therefrom much of
the mineral ingredients which enter
into the formation of the grain. The
writer of this has seen an instance in
which the root was nearly four feet in
length. All farmers are aware of the
fact that the best wheat seasons are
such as are tOlerably dry and cool We
have heard old people speak of the
year 1906, when there was no rain
from April to September The ears Of
wheat did not fully emerge from the
boot, but the harvest was unusually
abundant Whence, then, could the
sustenance for the crop have been de,
rived but from a great depth beneath
the surface2
The same course of remark is apple
cable to rye, and in a less degree TO
oats. The last mentioned, being a
spring crop, has less time for the de-
velopment of its radicle system, as is
proved by the fact that it requires rain
at least every week If it was capa-
bic of being treated like wheat or rye,
it would doubtless exhibit the same
phenomena As a substitute, the win
ter oat is more certain; but its product
of grain, though it yields more straw, is
not equal to that of the spring oat
No instance mas come 10 our knowl-
edge of the depth to which the roots of
corn have been traced. The radicles
are known to occupy every part of the
surface, forming g close network and
from the vigorous growth Of the plant,
and the size and strength Of the un-
derground roots, far as they are uncoV-
cred by the plough, it is fair TO pre-
sumo that they strike TO considerable
depth
1t is unnecessary to pursue the sub.
iect in regard to cotton, tobacco, &c
Oar purpose viii have been attained If
the intelligent farmer is induced to ap
ply the lessons taught by these facts
Sub-soil ploughing, save at intervals of
two or more seasons, in pursuing a sys-
tenn of gradual improvement is not
necessary. Give plant good, rich,
dry bed, in which il can acquire
strength in the early stages OF its
growth, and you endow it with the
power Of foraging at will for all that it
stands in need Of