The Romance of Plant Life

long-How roots find their way-How they do the right thing and seek only what is good for them-Root versus stones-Roots which ha

regularly write about Mother-Earth and, in so doing, admi

ock below; then (with Hugh Miller) you may reflect on the extraordinary value of those few

thinnest surface-layer of an earth which is 8000 miles in diameter. But in most places the depth of true soil is far less than thirty

dead leaves, the bodies of dead insects, and waste products of all kinds. Within it, they are broken to pieces and worked up again by the roots of other plants in order to form new leaves, new insects, an

ng Corn

e corn out of the ear with their hoofs. They do this for twenty

hickness formed by the yearly work of plants for millions and millions of years is

at-mosses and in those buried forests which form the coalfields, vegetable matter may accumulate in deposits of thirty feet of co

rld by some Hindoo miser and buried deep within the earth. Yet somebod

sufficient intelligence to utilize them has already

n, of nitrate, and minerals always return after their wanderings in the bodies of plants, of insects,

diately begins to rise up between the particles of earth and is promptly caught and sucked in by the roots, only to be again given out by their leaves. The carbonic acid gas and oxygen also are always

change the comparatively useless air-nitrogen into useful manures. P

It is true that a "radical" disposition is necessary if one is to go to the root of

and the burrows of worms and insects often extend to it. Next above the subsoil comes the true soil; there is plenty of the stones, soil, sand, or whatever it may be that constitutes the subsoil, but its richness consists in its contents of valuable m

life and activity, which probably g

face at night or early morning and leaves the worm-casts upon it. The rain then washes the rich, finely-divided matter of the casts down into the soil again. It is said that there are about 160,000 worms at work in an acre of good soil. Yet their life is full of danger. A keen-eyed popula

naw the roots of plants or devour dead leaves and twigs (see Chapter xxiii.). Thus there are many burrows and holes, so that

onic acid, mineral salts, and also germs or bacteria, w

ea of the romance of the underground world one must try to picture to oneself these swarms and myriads of germs and bacteria all incessantly and busily engaged at their several duties. In the uppermost layers there are probably in a single cubic inch of goo

the outer side of the ring. It is therefore on this outer side yellow, dry, and more or less withered. On the inner side, however, the grass is luxuriant and of a rich bright green. Here the fungus has died off, and its remains, as well as those of the plants which it destroyed, form a rich manure for the new grass

ain, but another sort of rain consisting of seeds, dead l

ns the sod there is a revolution

mselves, which penetrate, explore, and exploit a

system was estimated to be about twenty-three square inches. This little Scotch fir after six months' growth was laying under contribution a cone of earth twenty to thirty inches deep and with a surface of 222 square inches. In certain kinds of corn the s

, may be found, according to a friend of mine, living at a depth of twenty spades. In Egypt and other places the roots

in which the root-branches arrange to grow in su

quite definite angle which is often 30°-45° to the surface. Moreover, these branches come off in quite a regular way. Eac

d in some other direction, it will after a time resume its original westerly voyage. This fact is a most extraordinary one, if true, but it can scarcely be said that it has been prov

t and grow. Its appearance will be most extraordinary, for the roots will grow downwards, whilst th

so familiar that the difficulty of answering does

ngering ray of light gives him an impulse to walk towards it.[35] So our root, also in the dark, feels the pull of gravity and endeavours to gro

ts way in darkness through stones and heavy ea

n its behaviour. It has the property of always

find that if roots are uncovered, they will turn away from the light an

at place. Very often they form a dense spongy mass of fibres which may almost choke the drain. Along a riverside one can often find great fibrous masses

ut and grow towards valuable and nutritious substances. He found that peas, beans, sunflower, and other roots were very sensitive t

in the mysterious sense of direction alluded to above, for roots wi

stones and other obstacles in the soil. They insinuate themselves into winding cracks and crawl round s

; for if, in the course of its journeyings underground, it should strike

, the growing part begins to curve sideways, so that the tip is brought clear of the obstacle and can probably proceed triumphantly upon its way

viour found in the whole vegetable world, and it is not

ing and remarkable. It will be remembered that we have already shown how different the soil is at

p their roots at one particular depth below the surface. Not only so

ends out a stem which grows upwards towards the light. As soon as this stem has reached the proper place, which is just below

ade. This makes it very difficult to tear them out. Even if grubbers with long spikes which reach as deep as these buried stems are driven through the ground, it generally happens that the stems are only cut in pieces and not dragged up. These hardy weeds are no

field to another by pieces of them sticking in t

of this horrid weed. The first foot or so revealed no sign of the end of the branching runners, and it was not unti

nner, until almost every green shoot of Bishopsweed[39] within a space six feet in diameter was seen to be really a branch of this one or

of the most curious stories in plant life, and the process which we shall

s obliquely downwards, where they become fixed by forming root-hairs all round themselves. These root-hairs round every root hold its tip firmly in the earth; then these same roots contract or shorten, which of course hauls down the root a little de

e different from the September ones. They again fix themselves firmly and then contract, becoming fully a third shorter than they were originally. The bulb is dragged down still deeper below the

ething of the same sort happens, for instance, to Bramble branches. They arch or droop over, when growing, so that the end touches the earth. On the underside of the tip, as soon as it begins to rest on the ground, roots are formed. These roots make their way

y curious manner. The end of the root becomes firmly attached in the soil, and then th

y are vulgarly common. How is it that their leaves are always at the level of the ground? The stem is always growing upwards; every year fresh circles of leaves are formed above the older ones. Yet the crown of the s

e downward-growing roots, which fix themselves in the soil by throwing out branch roots. These forty to sixty roots are at first about ten inches long, but, as soon as they are firmly attached, they

about by the roots. But they are not always moved by the roots. Even though buried in da

ulbs do not remain in the same position. They wande

ace, then the point of the next year's little fleshy bud turns downwards; next year it again turns downwards, and so on every yea

the underground life of plants

ry branching above ground. It is often not unlike the reflection in water of the tree

ass, Thistle, Bishopsweed, etc., vigorously pushing t

bout till they get into exactly the right position, but never remaining fo

/3 to 1-3/4

eal 1-1/3 t

Arum maculatu

umn Crocus) 3-

6-3/8 to

tlets and their hairs. Tree-roots will be ready to intercept it at ten feet depth, many herbaceous plants will suck it in at depths of five to six

alts will be left, so that by the time the level of Asparagus has been reached there will be exceedingly few, and the water is comparatively speaking pure. The effect of this vigorous underground life is often visible on the

s stone. It was estimated that it had lifted a weight of

the entire wall, which may be entirely overthrown if the tree is too near. The force of t

elf through the soil, may exercise a pressu

has to drive itself through the earth, pushing aside