NOLAN] 



THE STOR Y OF A KERNEL OF CORN 



313 



alights on the silk, it begins to grow a slender tube down into the 

 silk and this tube grows until it reaches the little kernel which has 

 just begun on the cob. All the contents of the pollen grain flows 

 down the long tube into the little kernel, and then the silk dies. 



The kernels are then said to 

 be fertilized. They at once 

 begin to grow and to fill out 

 the cob with plump, well- 

 shaped kernels, each contain- 

 ing a germ which will grow 

 again into a new stalk of 

 corn if properly cared for and 

 planted the next season. 



During the greater part of 

 August and September our 

 corn plant with its ear is ma- 

 turing. That means that 

 much of the plant food which 

 went into the roots, stalk, and 

 leaves during the growing 

 season, is now being changed 

 into kernels of corn, making 

 them hard and firm on the 

 cob, and leaving the stalk 

 dry and dead. Our corn plant 

 stood among thousands of 

 others, rustling their dry 

 leaves in a cool November 

 wind, when Mr. Farmer came 



swinging down the row, car- 

 Fig. 5. A Good Stalk of Corn ^.y-^^ ^ ^^^^ ^^^^ j^-g gi^^^^. 



der, selecting his next season's seed. He stopped at the plant 

 grown from our story kernel. It was a beautiful stalk of 

 com. It stood in ample space for free development, its brace 

 roots held it firm and straight, broad leaves came out and 

 bent down on all sides of the tall, strong stalk, and the ear 

 hung over on a short shank about midway up the stalk. Mr. 

 Farmer turned back the husks and saw that the ear was firm, 

 had a good shape and was well filled with straight rows, so he 

 broke it from the stalk, flung it into his sack of seed corn, and took 



