(7) Number and position of ears; colour of silks.
(8) Size of tassel, and number and size of its branches.
(9) Stage of maturity or ripeness of plant.
(10) Has the plant grown symmetrically, or has it been crowded by other plants or been obliged to struggle for light or room?
(11) Note all unusual or interesting marks or features.
(12) Always make note of comparative vigour of the plants.
Note to Teacher.—The teacher should always insist on personal work by the pupil. Every pupil should handle and study the object by himself. Books and pictures are merely guides and helps. So far as possible, study the plant or animal just where it grows naturally.
Notebooks.—Insist that the pupils make full notes and preserve these notes in suitable books. Note-taking is a powerful aid in organizing the mental processes, and in insuring accuracy of observation and record. The pupil should draw what he sees, even though he is not expert with the pencil. The drawing should not be made for looks, but to aid the pupil in his orderly study of the object; it should be a means of self-expression.
CHAPTER II
THE STRUGGLE TO LIVE
Every plant and animal is exposed to unfavourable conditions. It is obliged to contend with these conditions in order to live.