u 



ELEMENTS OF FARM PRACTICE 



they have found that three stalks to a hill give the best 

 yields. 



Even Seed. — Farmers can get even corn to plant by 

 selecting even, straight rowed ears of corn, and by shelling 

 off the tip and butt kernels, using this part for feed and sav- 

 ing only the more even kernels from the middle of the ears 

 to plant. The whole crop on an acre of corn depends on 

 a few ears of seed corn. 



Questions: 



1. Do the size and shape of kernels of seed corn make any differ- 

 ence to the farmer? 



2. How can farmers get even seed corn? 



3. If the tip kernels were put into a planter, would it drop too 

 many or too few? 



Arithmetic: 



1. After the tip and butt kernels of corn have been shelled off 

 from an ear, count the number of rows of kernels; then count the num- 

 ber of kernels in one row. How many kernels on the ear of corn? 



2. Find how many hills of com on an acre when corn is planted 

 in hills 3 ft. 8 in. apart each way. 



Note. — There are 160 sq rds. in an acre, and each hill of corn 

 takes up 3 ft. 8 in. x 3 ft. 8 in. or 13 4-9 sq. ft. of space. 



3. If three kernels are planted in each hill, how many ears of 

 corn like the one you counted are required to plant an acre? 



PARTS OF A KERNEL OF CORN 



Examining Kernels. — It is 



not always easy to believe 

 that there is a quite complete, 

 though small, corn plant in 

 each kernel of corn. If you 

 will dissect a few kernels of 

 corn, they will furnish a very 

 good object-lesson. A kernel 

 of corn consists of three parts 

 — an outside shell or seed 

 coat, a little speck of life, or 

 the embryo, and about the 

 embryo a white, starchy sub- 

 stance or food portion. 



The seed coat may be 

 easily removed from a kernel of corn that has been soaked 

 for a few minutes in hot water. It is hard and tough. Its 



Figure 24. — Parts of kernel of flint 

 corn. 1. Side on which the em- 

 bryo is found. 2. Side opposite 

 the embryo. 3. Kernel with em- 

 bryo and seed coat removed. 4. 

 The embryo. 5. Seed coat removed 

 from the kernel. 



