82 



SIM'X'IMl'.XS OF CI^REAT.S FOR HIGH SCHOOLS 

 Dr. C. Stuart Gagi':r, Director. 



Sir: 1 Fci^' to siilniiit the following- s])eci<Tl rc])ort for i()2r). 



In cooperation with Dr. R. C Bene(hct, I arranged two s])ecial 

 meetings for (he New York .Association of ])iology Teachers. 

 Oin- hrst meeting- Avas hc^ld on Satnrday, ()ctol)er 12th, and wa= 

 planned primarily to show tlie sorg'hnms and corn in the Experi- 

 mental Field. At that lime the crop was matnring and the various 

 hyl)rids ])eing grown in connection with our studies of smut re- 

 sistance were in excellent condition for ohservation.. Several dif- 

 ferent varieties of sorghum, showing wide variations in plant 

 characters, as well as the hrst generation hyhrid plants, were heing 

 grown. There was also a considerahle numher of second gen- 

 eration prog'cnies of ]iy])rids which had been inoculated with the 

 covered smut and wliich showed the inheritance of the smut- 

 resistant quality. At the same tune. Dr. Rcnedict had a series of 

 types of the cahhage family, including the wild cahhage, cultivated 

 cabbage, kohlrabi, brussels sprouts, and other members of the 

 group. These were also at their best condition for a comparison 

 of the g-reat variation to be observed in a closely related group of 

 plants. 



The second meeting was held in the Laboratory Building- on 

 Novemljer 23d. and was intended ])rimaril\- for the examination 

 of specimens of various cereals, with some em])hasis on the gen- 

 etic as|)ects. We ])repared a large numl)er of dilTerent t)'])es of 

 specimens of wheat, oats, r}'e, barlev, sorghmn, and corn, and 

 put them on display. As a ]Xirt of the same program, Dr. l^en- 

 cdict showed to those ])resent his studies on ferns. 



Very great interest was aroused by the examination of the 

 cereal s])ecimens, and the possibilit\- of their use in connection 

 with the High School teaching of botany was taken up. These 

 plants, although constituting the basal food plants of tlie world, 

 were more or less unfamiliar to the high school teachers. Some 

 of them had never seen Avheal. oats, rye, barle_\-, or sorghum. 

 Oorn was slighll}- f.'uuihar becatise of its a])pearance on the market. 



It \\-as evident to those A\-ho attended the meetings tliat the 

 material would prove \er\- ^-aluable in the instruction of the high 



