2 AGRICULTURE 



large number of corn club boys in different states have pro- 

 duced as much as one hundred fifty bushels from" an acre, 

 and not a few in the southern states have raised more than 

 two hundred bushels. One of the things we shall try to 

 learn in this book is how to raise a larger crop of corn from 

 our fields. 



1. The Corn Plant 



Corn belongs to the grass family ; that is, it is a member 

 of the same group of plants as timothy, wheat, rye, or blue- 

 grass. 



In order to study the corn plant itself, each of the class 

 will secure from a near-by field, or bring from home, a com- 

 plete stalk of corn, taking care to save as much of the 

 root as possible. Then use the text as a help in studying 

 the plant. 



The roots. Examining the roots, do you find them 

 tough and fibrous, or tender? Do the roots branch, or is 

 there a central tap root? At earing time the roots of a 

 vigorous plant may extend down several feet, and spread 

 out so that they meet the roots from other hills. The 

 ground of a corn-field may thus be completely filled with 

 roots. In dry seasons the roots strike deeper than in wet 

 seasons. Why ? Would you expect the roots to run deeper 

 in a black porous soil, or in a hard clay subsoil? 



Are there roots branching from the lower one or two 

 joints of the stalk, thus starting from above the top of the 

 ground ? Roots growing in this way are called brace roots. 

 They act like the guy ropes of a tent pole, and hold the stalk 

 erect in the winds. If these are broken off by close plow- 

 ing, or destroyed by worms, the corn is easily blown down. 



The stem. How long is the stem? What is its girth 

 just above the root? How many leaves has it? From 

 where do these start? How are they attached? Are the 



