120 HAILSTORM OF 24tH JUNE, 1897. 



was extensive, the entire stalk was blanched, and at the junction 

 with the root the connective tissues had decayed. Hence there 

 was no waste of food-material in supporting parts of the plant 

 which could not perform their normal function of fi'uit-bearing, 

 and the energies of the organism were directed to the support of 

 the uninjured portions. 



On a visit made on the 24th of July it was noticed that 

 where the damage to the stem was only partial, and the ear 

 received a certain amount of nourishment, there was an effort made 

 to raise the spike up into the light and air, for the purpose of 

 ripening. This was accomplished by a curious contrivance. The 

 joint next below the injured part had curved upwards by what is 

 known as nutation, that is, one side had grown more rapidly than 

 the other, and had thus raised the immature ear at an angle of 

 thirty to forty degrees. The joint had also become thickened on 

 the lower side of the bend so as to sustain the extra tension 

 resulting from the position of the ripening ear. Whether it was 

 heliotropism or apo-geotropism, or a combination of both forces, 

 which effected this change in the direction of the stem, 1 am not 

 sufficiently informed to say. It is patent that an injured stem 

 could not convey so much nourishment as an uninjured one, hence 

 the ears in these cases had only a percentage of ripe grains at the 

 time of harvest. It was certainly a curious sight when passing 

 through a field of wheat to see perhaps half of the crop with the 

 stems bent at an acute angle. (See Plate TI, figs. 5 and 6.) 



My last visit to the hail-struck cornfields was paid on July 31st. 

 The only salient feature then observed was that in a field which 

 was being cut, every plant which had received injury had thrown 

 up one diminutive ear or more direct from the root, so that the 

 crop presented a curious mottled appearance, the bulk being ready 

 for the sickle, and, interspersed with the ripened portion, were 

 these gTeen ears. It was apparent that Nature had sought to make 

 up the deficiency by starting the second crop. Were these shoots 

 produced from dormant buds ? 



Although these notes are brief and imperfect, it is hoped that 

 they are of sufiicient interest to warrant their being brought to 

 the attention of the Society. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE II, 



Illustrating damage to corn-crops by hailstones, 24th June, 1897. 



Figs. 1-4. "Wheat-stalks collected near Wigmore Hall, July 3. The stalks 

 are bent at varying angles at the point of injury ; the ears are abortive. 



Figs. 5-7. Wheat-stalks collected near Mangrove, July 24. In figs. 5 and 6 

 the nodes are thickened above the damage and the stalks have bent upwards 

 to elevate the partially abortive ears for ripening. In fig. 7 the stalk has not 

 recovered itself and the ear is abortive. 



All the figures are one -fifth natural size. 



