138 LABORATORY LESSONS IN GENERAL SCIENCE 



LESSONS ON CORN 



(a) Corn in the Field 1 



1. Measure the distance between hills of corn in a row, 

 and then calculate the number of them in a row 16 rods 

 long. Measure the distance from row to row, and calcu- 

 late the number of rows in a width of 10 rods. Calculate 

 the number of hills in an acre (160 square rods). With four 

 kernels per hill, how many kernels are needed to plant an 

 acre? 



2. Count the number of stalks in a plot nine hills each 

 way. With three stalks 2 to the hill, how many stalks 

 should there be in the plot ? What is the per cent of short- 

 age (or excess) ? 



3. Count the number of ears in the plot of 81 hills. With 

 one ear on each of three stalks 2 per hill, how many ears should 

 there have been? What per cent of shortage (or excess) is 

 found? How many ears shortage (or excess) is this per 

 acre? How many bushels of ears in this, taking 100 ears 

 per bushel as an average ? How much shelled corn ? What 

 value has this amount of corn at the market price? 



4. About what is the average height of the stalks? If 

 any are broken down, at what places with reference to the 

 joints (nodes) are the breaks? Where are the leaves at- 

 tached to the stalks? What is the purpose of joints in the 

 framework of our bodies? What is told of the corn plant 

 by the varying lengths between joints ? 



1 In the autumn. 



2 Use four per hill for those varieties having relatively short stalks and 

 small ears. 



