268 ELEMENTS OF AGRICULTURE 



They may reach their full growth in less than an hour. Make drawings 

 of the different forms. 



64. Bread Mold. 



Materials. A slice of stale bread, several glasses or jars, magnify- 

 ing glass, compound microscope. 



Moisten a piece of bread slightly and place in one of the jars or 

 tumblers, and keep covered. In about a week the bread will probably 

 be covered with black mold. Examine with the lens, notice the white, 

 moldy growth the mycelium of the fungus. The mycelium corresponds 

 to the roots, stems and leaves of other plants. It takes its food from 

 the bread. The fungus requires heat, moisture and food for its growth, 

 but does not require light, because it is a saprophyte. Notice that the 

 dark color is due to black specks attached to the mycelium threads; 

 these are spore cases. Each one is called a sporangium. Some of these 

 are white. These are the young, or unripe ones. These spores corre- 

 spond to seed, while the sporangium corresponds to a pod. Make draw- 

 ings of all the parts. 



Mount some of the fungus in a drop of water and examine with a 

 compound microscope. Make drawings of mycelium, sporangium and 

 spores. (See Fig. 129.) 



65. Transformations of an Insect. 



Bring in cabbage worms, caterpillars and. other insects, and place 

 in jars in the laboratory. Feed with the proper plants and watch the 

 transformations. Make drawings of each stage in the life of at least 

 one insect. For this work a terrarium is very desirable. It is a 

 box with glass sides and cover that can be conveniently opened and 

 closed. 



66. A Study of a Grasshopper. 



Supply each student with one or two grasshoppers (or other mature 

 insects). How many divisions in the body? How many legs does it 

 have? What difference is there between the hind legs and the other 

 pairs? How many wings are there? Do all insects have this number 

 of wings? How are the wings folded? What differences between the 

 outer and the inner pair? To what part of the body are the wings 

 attached? The legs? Find the antennae (feelers). Examine the jaws. 

 Do they move in the same way that yours do? If you have a com- 

 pound microscope, see whether you can find the divisions of the 

 compound eyes. Make drawings. 



