no MAIZE 



CHAP, appears rarely to develop grain ; occasionally, however, fully 

 developed secondary ears are produced (Fig. 56). A variation 

 of one to twelve inches in length of shank has been noted. 

 Very long shanks are undesirable because the)/ allow the ear 

 to hang too far away from the stem, which often results in 

 its breaking off prematurely. 



Fig. 55. — Four secondary ears developed from the nodes on the shank of a 

 single ear. 



The diameter of the shank also varies ; it may be " large" 

 i.e. nearly the diameter of the cob; "medium" i.e. half the 

 diameter of the cob ; or " small" i.e. one-third the diameter 

 of the cob. 



82. The Husk. — The husk of the ear consists of the leaf- 

 sheaths which arise from the nodes of the shank (Fig. 39) ; 



