CORN CULTURE 



sents the male part, and the silk the female part of the 

 flower. 



The work of the tassel is to produce pollen. This sifts 

 off in fine grains just as the corn is silking. A particle of 

 pollen lodges on the tip of a silk, and a growth is carried 

 through the center of the tiny thread to its root, where 

 the kernel forms. The pollen in this way fertilises the silks. 

 one silk for each kernel of corn. If for any reason no 

 fertilization occurs, no kernels will be formed. 



Record of Stand of Corn 

 PLOT NO. 



The pollen grains are very light, and may be carried 

 by the wind for many rods, thus fertilizing the silks of 

 other plants than their own. This is called cross-fer- 

 tilisation. 



Have you ever seen an ear with part of the kernels 

 white and the rest red or yellow? How is this to be ex- 

 plained? A small patch of popcorn planted near field corn 

 turned out badly mixed, although the seed used was pure. 

 How do you account for the mixture? 



