The record-union., 1897-03-19
THE INSTITUTE ADJOURNS.
Farmers and University Men Close Their
Councils.
Much Valuable Information Obtained
by Those Who Attended, and
Resolutions Passed.

1.-THE Plant in Health and Disease
was the subject with which Professor
c. w. Woodwork opened the Farmers
Institute yesterday morning.
He began his lecture by illustrating it
with a weed The active parts of the
plant, he said, are the leaf and the root.
The latter part, he said, very few people
ever see, for the reason that when the
plant is pulled out of the ground the root
pairs, being SO tender, are broken OH
and remain in the soil. What we gen
orally call the fine roots are really
coarse roots and have not much activity,
while the root hairs are really the active
ones.
The main duty of the roots is to obtain
water and they reach out in all dlrec-
tionS for that purpose. AS was SAID
yesterday, all plants contain from oo
to 80 per cent. of water and the amount
they take up is enormous and almost IN
credible. The large roots serve to hold
the plant upright in the ground, Whlie
the root hairs provide it with sustenance
drawing up the water and the salts that
are held in solution by it.
The stem of the plant is simply the
medium through which the water is
conveyed to the leaves and the bark
serves to prevent the loss or waste OF
water. Some people talk of pores in the
bark, but there are none. If there We're,
they would defeat the use for which the
bark is made.
The leaves are full of pores, through
which the plant takes in the air and
moisture. When the air is moist in the
morning the cells of the leaf open and
let the air in, but as it gets warmer, they
close up tightly in order to prevent the
water from evaporating. They stay
closed tightly all day until it begins &c
get cool and moist again in the evening
A certain part of the leaf, under the sur
face. collects sugar and forms 1t into
starch, which in some way is turned into
nutriment and coloring matter. Inc
great part of the nutriment OF the planl
is collected by the leaves. The root can
only grow and increase in size through
the material that is collected by the
leaves
He gave an interesting explanation OF
how the stem expands and grows anu
how the outside layers die. Practically
the wood is dead material, but all
through the tree are live layers through
which the sap circulates- In the sprlhS'
when the soil becomes a little warm, the
root hairs begin to show activity, nav
ing been dormant all winter on account
of the cold. They begin to take up
water from the ground and the water
forces the buds to swell as 1t passes
through the cells into the limbs. Inc
longer the bud has remained dormant
the harder it is to force them to swell
All the growth in the spring is due only
to the food already stored up by the
leaves and the pressure of the sap.
If the sap pressure is kept up the tree
continues to grow till it reaches GER
tain stage. when it stops. Some trees
grow farther than others and the tree
with the best roots makes the largest
growth. Then the leaves begin to store
up food again, and after it has supplied
all the food that the twigs need, it be
gins to work back down the tree and
forms a new layer of wood under the
bark and go clear down into the roots
and even into the root pairs.
The roots grow up as does the trunk
and have bark on them as does the tree
Root hairs never grow on the old roots.
Sometimes the tree sets up new root
system and then a new growth takes
place in June When there is much
water in the soil it sets up a fermenta-
ton sometimes and produces disease OF
death in the tree. This fermentation rots
off the root hairs and the tree is starved
for water because they are destroyed
and can no longer carry it. Alkall often
rots them off in the same way and the
leaves become yellow. People often say
the ground is too wet and that the tree
cannot be suffering for water, when 1t
really is because the root hairs are de-
stroyed. Sometimes the leaves turn
yellow on account of borers. The root
hairs are destroyed as often as the
leaves are.
If the tree is to do well, there must be
an abundance of leaf surface and If the
foundation for it is not laid in the fall
by a full leaf system it will not material
ize in the shape of roots in the spring.
When we prune off the top it gives US
the proper balance between leaves and
roots If we did not prune in the win
ter the top would overbalance the roots
Insects damage a tree often by taking
Rhe leaves off at the wrong time. i
fhev attacked the tree and took off the
aeaves after the fruit is harvested i
might do the tree good by allowing tbs
roots to get ahead. The injury done by
insects-scale and others-is done be-
cause the loss occurs at the wrons
time. When q dry spell comes. the
scale continues to pump water from tbs
plant to preserve its own life. If tbs
tree has already a scant supply o
water for its own needs, the 81 sht los:
at such a time turns the scale and the
tree dies If there is plenty OF water
from irrigation or otherwise they ds
but little injury. When a tree is at
tackled by disease or insects, any Other
diseases it may have will complicatt
its case and aid in its destruction, s,
that the owner should look for tht
other causes of injury, and find them il
possible.
Headache may be produced by dozens
of causes, and the doctor does not trea'
the patient for headache. but looks FOL
the cause. So growers should learn L
look for the cause when they find theil
trees beginning to show signs of dis
ease.