QUESTIONS 43 



FIELD AND LABORATORY EXERCISES 



1. The flower structures of wheat, oats and rye may be studied. Which 

 ones of these seem to require self-pollination, and which ones will allow of 

 cross-pollination? How can new varieties be bred from grains which naturally 

 self -pollinate? 



2. Safe Distances between Varieties of Corn. Determine, if possible, 

 how far corn pollen may be scattered by the wind. Shake a tassel of corn 

 bearing ripe pollen and see if any of the pollen can be detected ten feet away. 

 If the wind were strong, what could limit the distance which the pollen 

 might be carried? 



3. Why Kernels Fail to Develop. Just before pollinating, a young ear 

 of corn may be selected and with a knife cut the silks around the middle line 

 of the ear without injuring the cob. Study the effect of such treatment upon 

 the future development of the kernels on the lower half of the cob. What 

 would be the effect of worms or other enemies injuring part of the silks of corn 

 before pollinating time? 



4. Value of Good Cotton Seed. A good home project with cotton is to 

 plant seed which has been well selected from ideal cotton plants, as described 

 in this chapter, and other seed taken at the gin from unselected stock. Com- 

 pare the growth and development of the two lots. 



5. Try Heavy Seed. Plant two lots of any one kind of farm seeds, one 

 lot in each case being heavy, well developed seed, and the other being light, 

 or chaffy. Try wheat, oats, rye, radishes or other available kinds. 



6. Improving Yields of Potatoes. If possible, a home project in the hill- 

 row method of growing Irish potatoes should be carried out by students. 



QUESTIONS 



1. How may plants which are self -pollinated be improved by the plant breeder? 



2. What methods must he use with cross-pollinated plants? 



3. Describe each of the ways by which the corn grower may improve his 



variety of corn. 



4. What are the methods used with corn? With tobacco? 



5. Why do self-pollinated plants have more stable varieties? Explain this 



with reference to oats. 



6. How are potatoes improved by the hill-row method? 



Reference. Improvement of Cotton Seed by Selection, Year Book, U. S 

 Dept. Agr., 1902, pp. 363-386. 



