The First Book of Farming | Page 5

first study of plants let us get together a number of farm and
garden plants. Say, we have a corn plant, cotton, beet, turnip, carrot,

onion, potato, grass, geranium, marigold, pigweed, thistle, or other
farm or garden plants. In each case get the entire plant, with as much
root as possible. Do these plants in any way resemble one another? All
are green, all have roots, all have stems and leaves, some of them have
flowers, fruit, and seeds, and the others in time will produce them.
Why does the farmer raise these plants? For food for man and animals;
for clothing; for ornamental purposes; for pleasure, etc.
[Illustration: FIG. 1.--SPECIMEN PLANTS FOR STUDY.]
[Illustration: FIG. 2. The first effort of a sprouting seed is to send a root
down into the soil.]
[Illustration: FIG. 3. Germinating seeds produce roots before they send
a shoot up into the air.]
Which part of any or all of these farm plants is of greatest importance
to the plant itself?
I am sure that you will agree that the root is the part most important to
the plant itself, for if any part of a plant be separated from the root, that
part ceases growth and will soon die, unless it is able to put out new
roots. But the root from which the plant was cut will generally send up
new shoots, unless it has nearly completed its life work. When a slip or
cutting is placed in water or in moist sand it makes a root before it
continues much in growth. When a seed is planted its first effort is to
send a rootlet down into the soil.
Experiment to see if this is true by planting slips of willow, or
geranium, or by planting corn or beans in a glass tumbler of soil, or in a
box having a glass side, placing the seeds close to the glass; then watch
and see what the seed does. Figs. 2 and 3.
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