ed in the
field, we will select a well-developed plant, say, of corn, potato or
cotton. Then we will dig a hole about six feet long, three feet wide,
and five or six feet deep, close to the plant, letting one side come
about four or five inches from the base of the plant. It will be well
to have this hole run across the row rather than lengthwise with it.
Then with the pitcher pour water about the base of the plant and wash
the soil away from the roots. Gently loosening the soil with the
sharpened stick will hasten this work. In this way carefully expose
the roots along the side of the hole, tracing them as far as possible
laterally and as deep as possible, taking care to loosen them as
little as possible from their natural position. (See Figs. 8 and 9.)
Having exposed the roots of one kind of plant to a width and depth of
five or six feet, expose the roots of six or eight plants of different
kinds to a depth of about eighteen inches. As this may require more
time than we can take for it in one day, it will be well to cover the
exposed roots with some old burlaps or other material until we have
them all ready, in order to keep them from drying and from injury.

When all is ready we will study the root system of each plant and
answer these four questions:

In what part of the soil are most of the roots?

How deep do they penetrate the soil?

How near do they come to the surface of the soil?

How far do they reach out sidewise or laterally from the plant?

To the first question, "In what part of the soil are most of the
roots?" you will give the following answers: "In the upper layer." "In
the surface soil." "In the softer soil." "In the darker soil." "In the
plowed soil."

These are all correct, but the last is the important one. Most of the
roots will be formed in that part of the soil that has been plowed or
spaded.

The second question, "How deep do the roots penetrate the soil?" is
easily answered. Roots will be found penetrating the soil to depths of
from two to six feet or more. (See Fig. 8.) The author has traced the
roots of cowpea and soy bean plants to depths of five and six feet,
corn roots four and five feet, parsnips over six feet. The
sweet-potato roots illustrated in Fig. 8 penetrated the soil to a
depth of over five feet. The roots of alfalfa or lucern have been
traced to depths of from thirteen to sixteen feet or more.

How near to the surface of the soil do you find roots? Main side or
later