Teachers' Leaflet. 531 



arrangement gives play to the sidewise movement without breaking the margins. 

 The leaf is thus protected from the wind whether it is struck from above or hori- 

 zontally. The true roots of the corn plant go quite deep into the soil but are 

 hardly adequate to holding such a tall, slender stalk upright in a wind storm; 

 thus all about the base of plant are brace roots which serve to hold the stalk 

 erect like the stay-ropes about a flag pole. 



LESSON VII. 

 AN EAR OF CORN. 



Purpose. — To induce the pupils tc* study carefully the flower and 

 fruitage of the corn. 



For this lesson there should be a stalk of corn bearing the ripe ears 

 so that the ptipils ma}" observe the relation of the ear to the plant. 



Obscrvatioti for piipHs: 



1. Where are the ears borne? Are two ears borne on the same 

 side of the stalk? 



2. Remove an ear and see if the stalk is cylindrical where the 

 ear rested. 



3. Examine the outside husks and compare them with the 

 corn leaves. 



4. What is there to suggest that the corn husk is a modified leaf ? 



5. Describe how the inner husks differ from the outer in color and 

 texture. 



6. After removing the husks carefully examine the silk and see 

 whether there is a thread for every kernel. 



7. Is there an equal amount of silk lying between every two rows ? 



8. How n)any rows of kernels are there on the ear? 



9. How many kernels in a row? How many on the whole ear? 



10. Do any of the rows disappear toward the tip of the ear? If so, 

 do they disappear in pairs ? 



11. Study a cob with no corn on it and see if the rows of kernel 

 sockets are in distinct pairs. 



12. Are the sockets of the paired rows opposite each other or 

 alternate? 



13. Break an ear of corn in two and sketch the broken end showing 

 the relation of the cob to the kernels. 



Facts for the teacher. — The ears are borne at the joints and the stalk where 

 the ear presses against it is hollowed out so as to hold it snugly ; this is very sug- 

 gestive of a mother holding a baby in her arms. The husks show plainly that they 

 are modified leaves in the following ways : The husk has the same structure as 

 the leaf, having parallel veins; it comes off the stem like a leaf; it is often green, 

 and, therefore, does the work of a leaf; it changes to leaf shape at the tip of the 

 ear, thus showing that the husk is really that part of the leaf which usually clasps 

 the stem. If the husk tipped with a leaf is examined the rainguard will be found 



