But by crooking its stout stem the plant opened quite easily a path for itself and for its leaves, and no harm was done anywhere (Figs. 106, 107). Was not this a clever thought? But really every step in the life of the plant is full of interest, if we watch it with sharp eyes and a brain in good order. PART III—ROOTS AND STEMS [Illustration: Decoration] ROOT HAIRS Carefully pull up one of your bean plants and look at its root (Fig. 108). You see that the root grows downward from the lower part of the stem. This bean root looks not unlike a bunch of dirty threads, some quite thick, others very thin. If you look at these thread-like roots in a good light, perhaps you may be able to see growing from them a quantity of tiny hairs. Now, what is the use of such a root as this? Surely some of you are able to guess at the object of this root, and I will help the others to the answer. [Illustration: FIG. 108] Give a firm though gentle tug to one of the larger plants,—one of those that are growing in the pot of earth. Does it come out easily in your fingers? Not at all. Unless you have been really rough, and used quite a good deal of strength, the little plant has kept its hold. What holds it down, do you suppose? Ah! Now you know what I am trying to get at. Its root is what holds it in place; and this holding of the plant in place is one of its uses. Its thread-like branches are so many fingers that are laying hold of the earth. Each little thread makes it just so much the more difficult to uproot the plant. I think you know already that another use of the root is to obtain nourishment for the plant. These thread-like roots, you notice, creep out on every side in their search for food and drink. The water they are able to suck in easily by means of tiny mouths, which we cannot see. But the plant needs a certain amount of earth food, which in its solid state could not slip down these root throats any more easily than a young baby could swallow a lump of sugar. Now, how is the plant to get this food, which it needs if it is to grow big and hearty? Suppose the doctor should tell your mother that a lump of sugar was necessary to the health of your tiny baby brother, what would she do about it? Would she put the great lump into the baby’s mouth? You laugh at the very idea. Such a performance might choke the baby to death, you know quite well. Perhaps you think she would break the lump into small pieces, and try to make the baby swallow these; but even these small pieces might prove very dangerous to the little throat that had never held a solid morsel. “She would melt the sugar in water, then the baby could swallow it,” one of you exclaims.