4 LABORATORY MANUAL IN FIELD CROPS 



PRACTICUM NO. 3 

 Object. To Show the Wide Variation in Plants. 



Materials. Cross section paper, ruler, several hundred 

 ears or stalks of corn, or kernels or heads of wheat. As many 

 examples as are deemed advisable may be used. 



Method. Accurate measurements are to be made and 

 tabulated in the field. Standardize the graph paper, length- 

 wise for the number of the ears, and crosswise for the inches. 

 In the case of the ears of corn, graph so as to show the varia- 

 tion in the length and in the diameter at the middle of the ears. 



STUDIES 



1 . How many ears are there of the same diameter ? 



2. How many of the same length ? 



3. What are the ways in which plants may be improved ? 



4. Explain how the breeders of plants have an advantage, 

 and how they are at a disadvantage, in comparison with animal 

 breeders. 



5. Explain the importance of environment in relation to 

 variation in plants. 



6. What is Mendel's law? 



7. Name some of the corn types. 



8. How may one avoid wide variation in plants ? 



REFERENCES 



Bailey's Cyclopedia of American Agriculture, Vol. 2, pp. 3-21, 53. 

 Livingston's Field Crop Production, pp. 1-8. 



AtVincrm'a Ttrdn-nii r\ AQ7 



Atkinson's Botany, p. 497. 



