"Can you tell me, Fred, what these big seeds are?" said Norah. "I picked them out from the chicken"s food. They are not like any of the grains of corn.""Ah," said Fred, "but they are grains of corn. This corn is sometimes called maize, sometimes Indian corn. We had a lesson on maize the other day; so, if you like, we will chat about it now.
"Let us begin with the plant itself. It grows from six to ten feet high. Its stem is very strong and about as thick as your wrist. It is hollow and jointed, like the stems of the other corn grasses. The leaves spring from the joints in the stem. They are long, broad, and pointed, and the veins in them run side by side. The ear is called a cob. There is one in the corn dealer"s window. Let us go and look at it."Away they ran, and were soon round the shop window. Fred made them compare the cob with the ears of wheat, barley, and oats.
