166 THE NATURE AND WORK OF PLANTS 



poses and nature of these fruits, one should have 

 some entire ears which have been brought in with 

 the husk and are still attached to the stalk, or, at 

 least, a section of it. 



I. The arrangement and protection of the fruits. 

 Examine the external characters of the ear and 

 its covering, and note : — 



a. The silks, hanging in a reddish-brown tuft 



from the tip. 



b. The texture of the husks, and the manner 



in which they cover the ear. Remove 

 one at a time, and compare the outer 

 and inner husks. 



c. Take one of the " silks," and follow it 



to its inner end. To what is it at- 

 tached ? 



d. The great number of fruits arranged in 



parallel rows on the central stalk or 

 " cob." Estimate the number of the 

 grains. 



e. The attachment of the grain to the cob. 



The scales. 

 /. The cob. Cut or break it across, and de- 

 scribe its structure. 



