410 THE CEREALS IN AMERICA 



Practicums. 



589. Description of Buckwheat.— Give each student typical plants of two 



or more varieties . 



1. Height of stem , . . 



2. Diameter ot stem ; at base . . 



3. Seed clusters .- number per plant 



4. Number ot grains: number per seed cluster . . .; number per plaril . 



5. Color of grain : light gray ; medium gray ; dark gray ; brown ; black. 



6. Plumpness of grain : plump; medium; shrunken. 



7. Width ; average of twenty-five grains . . . 



8. Length: average of twenty -five grains ... 



9. Weight: average of twenty-five grains . . .; average of twenty-five hulls 

 . . . ; per cent of hulls . . . 



10. Volume weight: weight per bushel by weighing one pint. 



11. Specific gravity : use picnometer. (203) 



590. Relation of Buckwheat to Soil Moisture. — Having selected a 

 soil, determine the amount of water it will hold when completely saturated. Fill 

 sixteen three-gallon jars vath this soil and determine the percentage of moisture in 

 the soil. Sow buckwheat in four jars with sufficient water to fully saturate the 

 soil; to four jars add three-fourths this amount of water; to four jars add one-half 

 this amount, and to four jars one-fourth this amount. By weighing the jars, main- 

 tain the amount of water in them as indicated. At the end of three, six and nine 

 weeks remove the plants from one jar in each of the series; determine their fresh 

 weight and the weight of water-free substance and add sufficient water to the 

 remaining jars to make up for the water of the plants. When the plants haw 

 ripened, determine the wei^^ht of grain and straw in each of the remaining jars. 



