Teachers' Leaflet. 



579 



Colorado beetle are also placed on their leaves, and when the farmer is thinking 

 he has destroyed most of the earliest brood, many beetles may be maturing here. 



LESSON XLI. 

 THE FLOWER AND FRUIT. 



Purpose. — To draw the children's observation to the fact that thrifty 

 potato plants are beautiful as well as useful. 



Material. — A spray of potato blossoms on the desk of each pupil. 

 Seed-balls are very rare of late years but an occasional one may be found 

 and studied. 

 Observations by pupils. — 



1. What are the color of the blossoms? 



2. How are the flowers arranged in the clusters, in a spike or many 

 branched ? 



3. Describe the parts of the flower; how many sepals form the calyx? 

 Has the corolla separate petals? How many stamens are there and how 

 are they placed? 



A potato sJioii'ing that it is a stoii with buds arranged on it in a spiral. 



4. Is the flower fragrant? 



5. What color and shape is the flower? 



6. W'hen cut open how many seed-cells are found within? 



7. What is the shape of the seeds and are they many or few? 



8. Is the fruit pleasant to the taste? 



Facts for teacher. — Some Solanums cultivated for their beauty alone have not 

 prettier blossoms than the potato. In some varieties the flowers are liglit purple 

 or lilac, in others they are white. They grow in long-stemmed, loose panicles, the 

 branchlets dividing in pairs. The calyx is five-lobed and the saucer-shaped 

 corolla is also five-parted ; in the center, like a pointed, golden hub in a wheel, are 

 the stamens, usually five in number, with anthers joined together, the openings for 

 the escape of pollen being at tlieir tips. The flower is slightly fragrant. 



The fruit or seed-ball is round and about the size of a small plum, of a yellow- 

 ish color when ripe; it is two-celled and crowded with seeds shaped very much 

 like tomato seeds but smaller. Its taste is bitter-sweetish and nauseous. 



