Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-02-19
The Principles Of Horticulture.

II. ROOT.
26. The root is the part that strikes into
the earth when the seed Begins to germinate,
and which afterwards continues to lengt hen
beneath the SOIL
27. 1t is also the part which is sometimes
emitted by the stem, for the purpose Of alb
sorbing nutriment from the atmosphere as
in Ivy, Air-plants, Vines. etc.
%. 1t is distinguished from the stem by
the absence Of leaves in any state ; Of regular
leaf-buds Of evaporatiDg pores Of s,omata /;
and Of pith in exogeuous plants
20. Therefore, such underground bodies
as those called tuber in the potato, bulb in
the onion, and solid bulb or cormus in the
orocus, are not roots.
30. The office OF the root is to absorb
food in fluid or gaseous state; and also
to fix the plant in the soil, or TO some firm
support.
81. The latter Office is essential TO the
certain and regular performance Of the
former.
32. 1t is not by the whole of their surface
that roots absorb food; but only by their
young and newl formed extremities, called
spongoes.
33. Hence the preservation of the
spongioles in an uninjured state is essential
to the removal Of plant from one place to
another.
"a. A spougiole consists of very young
vascular tissues surrounded by very young
cellular substance.
35. Spongoles secrete excrementitious
matter, which is unsuitable to the same spe-
cies afterwards as food [; for poisonous substan-
ces are as fatal to the species that secrete
them as any other species.
36. Hence whatever is known to pro-
duce any speci6ce deleterious action upon
leaves or stems, such as certain gases and
mineral or vegetable poisons, will produce a
much more fatal effect upon the spongioles.
81. These organs have no power of se-
lecting their food, but will absorb whatever
the earth may contain, which is sufficiently
fluid to pass through the sides Of tissue.
3S. 80 that tho spongiolGs are developed
in medium which is Of an unsuitable ma
ture, as they will still continue to absorb,
they cannot fail to introduce matter which
will prove either injurious or fatal to life,
according to its intensity.
%. lhls may often explain Wby trees
suddenly become unhealthy, without any ex-
ternRl apparent cause.
40. Plants ha 70 the power of replacing
spongioles by the formation of new ones; SO
that an individual is not destroyed by their
loss.
Al. But this power depends upon the
special vital powers Of the species.
AZ. Ii the atmosphere is SO humid as TO
hinder evaporation, spongoles will have time
to form anew; but if the atmosphere is dry
the loss by evaporation will be so much great
er than can be supplied by the injured roots
that the whole system will be emptied of fluid
before the new spongioles can form.
49, This is the key to tTansplantation.
A. As roots are destitute of leaf.buds,
and as leaf-buds are essential to the multi
plication Of an individual, it should follow
that roots can never be employed for the
purpose Of multiplication.
As. Nevertheless, roots when woody
have, occasionally, tho power Of generating
adventitious leafbuds aud when this is the
case, they may be employed for the purpose
of multiplication ; as those Of cydonia, japou-
lea, &c.
as. The cause Of this power existing in