The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-01-18
TIE rHlasr OF PLAnra.
Enormous Quantities 81 Water Pumped Up
Prom the soil By the Roots.

Enormous Quantities 81 Water Pumped Up
FROM the soil b. the Roots.
Habcrlandt has calculated that nn acre Of
rye, during its growth aud development.
nhsorhs alf tons ~ water per acre; oats re-
qulre BIO tons and wheat $50
The water, sucked or pumped up by the
roots from the soil, trHvaracs the TISSUES %
the plant, dcpoHiting uutriment therein and
finally Ia evaporaird hy the leaves. This
process - called Transportation. As the soil
furnishes the supply OF water, thnt supply,
IN order that the plant can develop itself
normally, ought to equal az least the vol
ume Of water given on by the leaves.
Should this equilibrium DE broken, the
leaves drOop. become dried and fall Not
only does tho plant lanWiish during an in
sufficient supply of water, but the energy
Of is green matter cells decrcnacs The
assimilation of carbon ceases. and the
growth 81 the plant g. stopped. IL is the
same in rearing stock. II badly fed the
animal will be stunted
The Transportation Of the plant Is 10 times
greater ia presence Of full light than Ia OBJ
scurity. and during dun, cloudy weather
the Transportation Is one half less than I'M
der the direct action Of the solar rays.
Judge then, 81 the suffering Of vegetation
when rain IA absent aud the sky clenr and
the sunlight continuous The only re-
sources the plant has, ia the absence Of an
artificial supply Of water by irrigation, Is
TO send It's roots tapering deep into the soil.
Professor Deherain has traced the root
let's OF wheat 10 a depth Of 30 inches in the
soil.
The botanist Wolkens corroborates these
views still more forcibly IN the course Of
his voyage ia Egypt and Arabia. One OF
the salient characteristics Of the roots Of
plants in the desert is the enormous length
Of their roots. Plants whose height above
the surface Of the soil never exceed the
length of hand have the root at the neck
as thick ns the thumb, tapering TO the vol
ume Of the little finger at the depth Of
yards. Ii is to their vast descending root
let's that the plants Of the desert owe their
existence and are able to eight the burning
heat which would cause branch OF the
same plant, il detached. to fade Ia the
course Of five minutes.
Irrigation then furnishes TO plants their
requisite humidity, and thus insures regu-
lar and increased development. In the
south Of France and in the north OF Italy
the iudicious and abundant supply Of water
TO herbagc lands insures considerable but
not extraordinary yields. Thus in the De
partment of Vaucluse six tons Of hay per
acre are secured, which at 100 francs per
ton means a money receipt of COO francs.
IN the same region five 20 six cuttings Of
lucern are obtained, representing total
Of eight tons.
In parts Of Provence the land irrigated
possesses a value five times superior to that
which is unwatered.
Parallel results exist in Lombardy. In
the little village of Orange, in the south Of
France, the local stream is utilized by -four
and other mills during the week days. On
Sunday the water irrigates $50 acres. Were
IL allowed to flow every day over arid soils
that need 20 slake their thirst, 800 acres
in all could thus yield more enormous re-
suits in year than the mean annual rev
enue Of the mills, which is only $1,000
francs.-Paris Cor Our Grange Homes.