PLANTS. . 75 



stalk is the pollen - receiving, or pistillate part. 

 Sometimes there are two, three, or more of the lat- 

 ter, but generally only one. They are called the ears 

 of corn, while the part at the top is called the tassel. 



The tassel bears the pollen, which falls upon the 

 ear or is carried to it by the wind. The ripened 

 ear has a long, cylindrical, rough, woody core called 

 the cob. During the early stages of the ear, the 

 cob is green and soft; connected with it in rows are 

 long, white, or green threads, commonly called 

 silks (but in reality the pistils of the blossom), 

 which extend several inches beyond the outer end 

 of the cob. These silks, or pistils, receive the fall- 

 ing pollen and bring it back to their points of 

 attachment to the cob, at which places it produces 

 the seeds, or grains, of corn. As soon as the 

 grains are mature, the silks die and turn brown. 



The whole ear of corn is covered completely by 

 layers of tightly-fitting leaves, similar to the leaves 

 of the plant. This part is called the husk and 

 must be removed before the grains can be shelled 

 from the cob. The husk is a protection for the 

 grains against the weather and the attacks of ani- 

 mals. There is a similar covering around grains of 

 wheat and oats, but in those cereals there is a 

 separate husk for each seed. 



PLANTING AND HARVESTING CORN. 



Indian corn, in the central states, is usually 

 planted in May and June, though sometimes as 



