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 and watch their progress for a few weeks (see Fig. 5). The
plants in the garden soil will grow larger than those in the sand. The
roots evidently must get food from the soil and those in the good
garden soil get more than those in the poorer sand. Another important
function of plant roots then is to take food from the soil for the
plant.

You know how thick and fleshy the roots of radishes, beets and turnips
are. Well, go into the garden and see if you can find a spring radish
or an early turnip that has sent up a flower stalk, blossomed and
produced seeds. If you are successful, cut the root in two and notice
that instead of being hard and fleshy like the young radish or turnip,
it has become hollow, or soft and spongy (see Fig. 6). Evidently the
hard, fleshy young root was packed with food, which it afterwards gave
up to produce flower stalk and seeds.

A fourth use of the root, then, is to store food for the future use of
the plant.

=Experiment.=--Plant a sweet potato or place it with the lower end in
a tumbler of water and set it in a warm room. Observe it from day to
day as it puts out new shoots bearing leaves and roots (see Fig. 7).