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LENGTH OF ROOTS.

Prof. J. W. Beal, of the Michigan Agricultural College gives the following interesting facts,
mostly the result of his own examinations, in
relation to the length of roots in plants and trees:
The soil has much to do with the length and
number of roots. In light, poor soil, I find roots
of June grass four feet below the surface. People are apt to under-estimate the length, amount
and importance of the roots of the finer grasses,
wheat, oats, &c. Some roots of clover and Indian corn are large enough to be seen by every
one on slight examination. A young wheat
plant, when pulled up, only shows a small part
of its roots. They go down often tour to six
feet. It needs very careful examination to show
that clover and Indian corn have any more
weight of roots than June grass. They probably do not contain more.
The roots of a two-year old peach tree in light
soil were found seven feet four inches long. In
a dry, light soil, this season, we pulled up one
parsnip three feet tong, and another three and a
half feet long, small roots even still longer.
The noted buffalo grass on the dry western
prairies, is described in the agricultural reports
at Washington as having very short roots; but
Mr. Felker, one of our college students, found
they went down seven feet.
The roots grow best where the best food is to
be found. They grow in greater or less quantity in every direction. If one finds good food,

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it flourishes and sends out numerous branches.
Many of the smaller roots of trees die every
autumn when the leaves die, and others grow in
spring. Near a cherry tree in my yard was a
rustic basket without a bottom, filled with a rich
soil. On removing the basket and earth, cherry
roots were found in large numbers in the top of
the soil. They had grown full of small branches
where the soil was good. Roots in soil will
grow up just as well as down, and do this.