Root

“ It is the young and tender root that penetrates the soil; it is when the fibers are delicate that, entering the fissures, it passes into the heart of the rock; and the earlier the mind is brought in contact with religion and becomes acquainted with its great and immense objects, the more thoroughly in after life will it comprehend and, like a root wrapped [51] around the rock, the more firmly hold to it. ”

“ A plant consists of a root, a stem, and many shoots and leaves. As humanity, as a whole, is the stem which grows from the spiritual root, so is the stem the unity of the plant. Hurt the stem and it is obvious that every shoot and leaf will suffer. So it is with mankind. ”

“ Riddle on a performer with a pole There is a tree between the lords, whose root has life and talks, and the fruits likewise. And in a single hour it grows in strange fashion, and ripens its fruit, and gets its harvest at the roots. ”

“ Puts nine locks upon the wonder,
Makes three strong roots creep around it;
In the earth they grow nine fathoms,
One large root beneath the mountain,
One beneath the sandy sea-bed,
One beneath the mountain-dwelling. ”

“ Being prepared now to find among plants many things which are like roots, yet are not; you may simplify and make fast your true idea of a root as a fibre or group of fibres, which fixes, animates, and partly feeds the leaf. Then practically, as you examine plants in detail, ask first respecting them: What kind of root have they? Is it large or small in proportion to their bulk, and why is it so? What soil does it like, and what properties does it acquire from it? The endeavour to answer these questions will soon lead you to a rational inquiry into the plant's history. ”

“ Wherever it is possible for a tree to take root, there firs of ancient and noble growth, and of the most wild and beautiful forms, are seen rising above each other, so that the top of the one often covers the root of the succeeding, or else thrown out horizontally in various fantastic and picturesque modes. ”

“ When you have performed this act return the root to the earth beneath the water, with the wish that the plant shall forever be plentiful. Then gather enough of the roots to satisfy the little one and yourself. ”

“ The root acts as an intermediary between the plants and its food, and for that reason the Greeks call it the root and cause of life in plants, for it supplies the plant with its means of life. The stem is the only part which grows out of the ground and forms, as it were, its erect stature. ”

“ Though they are distinct from each other, nevertheless they are so closely connected that we cannot with our physical senses separate one from the other. Who has ever been able to discover or explain the process by which a leaflet grows from a tree, or a tiny grain of corn becomes a root, or a cherry grows from the blossom to wood and kernel? ”

“ Thoughts which come at a call
Are no better than if they came not at all;
Neither flower nor fruit,
Yielding no root
For plant, shrub, or tree. ”

“ If the root is holy, so are the branches. 011:017 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them, and became partaker with them of the root and of the richness of the olive tree; 011:018 don't boast over the branches. But if you boast, it is not you who support the root, but the root supports you. 011:019 You will say then, "Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in." 011:020 True; by their unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by your faith. Don't be conceited, but fear ”

“ The roots.—As might be expected, the first signs of life make their appearance at the white scar which indicates the position of the embryo or young plant. Instead of one main root growing out, several little roots make their appearance almost at the same time. ”

“ All our progress is an unfolding, like the vegetable bud. You have first an instinct, then an opinion, then a knowledge, as the plant has root, bud, and fruit. Trust the instinct to the end, though you can render no reason. ”

“ The root is the plant’s anchor to hold it firm in its place. The root is the plant’s pantry or cellar, where much of its food is stored up. The root is the plant’s mouth. Many of the mouths of the plant are on the ends of the little fibres that grow from the main part of the root. ”

“ The trunk has been therefore called by some botanists a “bundle of roots,” but I think inaccurately. It is rather a messenger to the roots.3 A root, properly so called, is a fibre, spongy or absorbent at the extremity, which secretes certain elements from the earth. The stem is by this definition no more a cluster of roots than a cluster of leaves, but a channel of intercourse between the roots and the leaves. It can gather no nourishment. ”

“ Expressions like grow, blossom, and graft, designations such as leaf, stem, and root, were not introduced by botanists, but originated in practical life and passed over from the popular vocabulary into our science. ”

“ If we see how many special purposes can be served by one root, as I, to go, or Pas, to fasten, the idea that a dozen of roots might have been made to supply the whole wealth of our dictionary, appears in itself by no means so ridiculous as is often supposed. ”

“ Some roots are made for still another purpose. Besides nourishing [1096] the plant and supporting it, the root sometimes answers for food. When a root is intended for this use it is large. Look at the root of the beet. Here is a figure of it. The plant does not need so large a root as this to nourish and support it. ”

“ So that, throughout all the freedom of her wildest foliage, Nature is resolved on expressing an encompassing limit; and marking a unity in the whole tree, caused not only by the rising of its branches from a common root, but by their joining in one work, and being bound by a common law. And having ascertained this, let us turn back for a moment to a point in leaf structure which, I doubt not, you must already have observed in your earlier studies, but which it is well to state here, as connected with the unity of the branches in the great trees. ”

“ We understand these are the first two branches from the main root of organic life, springing from the same original germ, and expanding into two great trees, never uniting nor mingling their boughs any more. ”

“ Allow your tree to establish roots, to grow to maturity, to bear fruit.
If you neglect the tree, it will not take root. When trials and temptations come, your tree, or your understanding of the word within you, will falter without strong roots. ”

“ The main root takes the shortest course p. 43to the deeper layers of earth; the four or five ranks of secondary roots divide the world between them and push forth all round, keeping slightly below the horizontal; the tertiaries take it for granted that their predecessors have done the usual thing, and that they can satisfactorily occupy the spaces left among their elders by random growth. ”

“ Whether a Tree, whose Root is cover'd from Rain, and not water'd, if the branches of it be expos'd to the Air, will grow?
16. Whether inoculated Roots of a Tree will grow?
17. How short the Arms of the Roots of a Tree maybe cut, and the Tree still grow?
18. How deep the several kinds of Trees are to be set in the ground to grow?
19. Whether or no a Seed being planted either way, it will grow equally?
20. Whether the Stem of a Tree being set in the Earth, and the Root turn'd up into the Air, the Tree will grow? ”

“ “Yes, and when one has taken root, one puts out branches.” ”

“ The structure of the soil or earth is a most interesting and romantic part of botany. It is true that a "radical" disposition is necessary if one is to go to the root of the matter, but, unless we do this, it is impossible to realize the romance of roots. ”

“ One way was digging up the roots of trees. A little,—a very little,—water may often be squeezed out of the end of a root; because the root is the mouth of the tree, and sucks up water from the ground. ”

“ But in all these various conceptions we find a central idea, derived no doubt from an antecedent and universal tree-worship, an idea which places a tree at the root of all philosophy, refers all phenomena to the existence of a central tree, serviceable to man here or hereafter, and concentrating upon itself the reverent devotion which had outgrown its earthly counterpart. ”

“ A root ending in a vowel is called a Vowel Root: as, da-, give; a root ending in a consonant is called a Consonant Root: as, rup-, break. Roots are conveniently indicated by the sign √: as, √teg-, to be read ‘root teg-.’
189. A root or a part of a root is sometimes doubled in forming a word; this is called Reduplication: as, mur-mur, murmur; tur-tur, turtle-dove; po-pul-us, people; ul-ul-āre, yell.
PRESENT STEMS AS ROOTS.
190. Many nouns are formed from the present stems of verbs, which take the place of roots. Stems thus used are mostly those of verbs in -āre and -īre. ”

“ Whilst the root, penetrating more deeply in the direction of the earth, spreads itself with uniformity, the plant elevates itself more and more into the light, and attains a more delicate and perfect organization ”

“ Now this was a true discovery, and a notable one; and you will find that, in fact, all plants are composed of essentially two parts—the leaf and root—one loving the light, the other darkness; one liking to be clean, the other to be dirty; one liking to grow for the most part up, the other for the most part down ”

“ The roots are hid in shallow soil of a peculiar kind. If you planted her in, well, in even your artistic world, she would either die, shrivel up, and be finished, or she might spread her roots, and finish you! ”

“ Plants in their perfect form consist of four principal parts,—the Root, Stem, Leaf, and Flower. It is true that the stem and flower are parts, or remnants, or altered states, of the leaves; and that, speaking with close accuracy, we might say, a perfect plant consists of leaf and root. ”

“ Root′let, a little root: a radicle; Root′-louse, one of the plant-lice; Root′-par′asite, a plant which grows upon, and derives its nourishment from, the root of another plant; Root′-pres′sure, an upward flow of sap, 'bleeding;' Root′-pulp′er, a mill for grinding roots; Root′-sheath, the sheath of the root of a hair or feather; Root′-stock (bot.) , a prostrate rooting stem, either fleshy or woody, which yearly produces young branches or plants: origin.—adj. Root′y, abounding in roots: rank.—Root and branch, completely; Root of bitterness, a dangerous error drawing away to apostasy ”

“ THE BUILDING OF ENGLISH WORDS.
The root of a word is the shortest form in which it appears. Thus tal, meaning number, speech, is the root of tale, a number counted; tale, a story; tell, narrate; toll, something counted out; talk, discourse.
The root of a word may undergo modification and become a stem. Thus love is the stem of the root lov-, and to this stem are added such inflections as -est, -s, -d, as loves, lovest, loved.
Again, to the root of a word may be added a prefix or suffix, thereby forming a new word called a derivative. ”

“ I am sure that you will agree that the root is the part most important to the plant itself, for if any part of a plant be separated from the root, that part ceases growth and will soon die, unless it is able to put out new roots. ”

“ And the tap root and its runners, and the branch roots and theirs, get knotted and knit into each other, till the whole forms one solid mass of roots, thousands of yards of a tangle of roots, sinuous and strong. ”

“ It is, doubtless, as good a way, perhaps the best, to begin with a single plant, and study root, stem, leaves, and flowers as belonging to a whole, but the problem is complicated by practical difficulties. ”

“ His roots strike deep down into that favouring soil. Though his branches may shoot up to the heavens, and seem to draw thence all the light and heat by which he lives, yet he is really fed from below as well as from above. ”

“ Turning to some of the numerous plants which on the doctrine of signatures were formerly used as specifics from a fancied resemblance, in the shape of the root, leaf, or fruit, to any particular part of the human body, we are confronted with a list adapted for most of the ills to which the flesh is heir. ”

“ So, if our light-and-air-seeking tendencies extend too widely for our original root or stem, we must send downward new roots to ally us to the earth.
Also there are parasitic plants which have their roots in the branches or roots of other trees, as the mistletoe, the beech-drops, etc. There are minds which so have their roots in other minds as in the womb of nature,—if, indeed, most are not such?! ”

“ Each root was not much thicker than a thread.
10. 'Don't touch them,' said the mother; 'roots are very tender things.'
'What is the good of them?' asked Dora.
'What is your mouth useful for?' asked her mother.
11. 'Oh, do you mean that the ivy eats and drinks?'
'Yes, that is what I mean. These roots take out of the water, or out of the earth, all sorts of things good for the food of the plant. They then send them up into the stem and on into the leaves.'
12. 'Mother,' said Harry, 'let us go and plant all this ivy. I am sure it wants to try the taste of the earth!' [Pg 47]
A TREE.
1. ”

“ If we look down at the roots out of which this tree has risen, and then up at its spreading branches,—omitting its intermediate trunk of ages, through which its processes have been secretly working,—perhaps we may realize in a briefer space the wonder of it all. ”

“ If it is permissible to speak of the relations of living forms to one another metaphorically, the similitude chosen must undoubtedly be that of a common root, whence two main trunks, one representing the vegetable and one the animal world, spring ”