and such is our present confidence, that we could pledge ourselves to make any female flower 

 fixed upon, fertile * 



SECOND EXPERIMENT. 



In the month of April I sowed Hemp-seed {Canahis) in two pots. 



The young plants came up in such abundance, that each pot contained thirty, or forty, 



plants. 



I placed both to the light on a window-seat, but in opposite parts of the house, so that all 



communication was necessarily prevented. 



In both situations the Hemp flourished greatly. 



In one of the pots I suffered the male and female plants to grow together, to flourish, and 

 produce fruit, which was ripe in the month of June, and afterwards being macerated in water, 

 and committed to the earth, shot up within twelve days. 



But in the second I plucked up all the male plants as soon as they had advanced, so that I 

 could discern the anther-hearing ?nales from the pistil^bearing females. 



The surviving females indeed flourished, and copiously presented their long pistils, but the 

 flowers remained a very long time, as if all that length of time in expectation of marriage; so 

 that in the mean time in the other pot the fruit had reached maturity, and the pistils, in a quite 

 different way, had instantly faded, after the males had discharged ih^u farina. 



Undoubtedly this is a pleasing sight, and very much to be admired, that the unmarried 

 females in so opposite a way retained their pistilla green and flourishing, nor first allowed these 



*- The Cucumher afFords a familiar example of the Sexes of Plants, for it produces on the same trailing branches flowers male and 



female ; that is, some of the flowers have only stamina (no pistillum), and others again only the pistilla, without the stamens, and being 



cultivated under glass for early produce, it is a known fact, that gardeners are obliged to pluck the males, or stameniferous flowers, and 



place them in the corollas of the females, or pistilliferous flowers. This process is thus celebrated by the illustrious Cowpee in his poem 



called " The Garden." 



Plants have their sexes, and when Summer shines 



The Bee transports the fertilizing meal 



From flower to flower, and e'en the hreathing air 



Wafts the rich prize to its appointed use. 



Not so when Winter scowls. Assistant art 



Then acts in Nature's office, brings to pass 



The glad espousals, and ensures the crop. 



It is curious to observe, that all stameniferuus , or male flowers, produce honey. 



One of the most sino-ular ways of the fecundation of plants through insects, we have in the Aristolochia Clematitis {Common 

 Birthwort). It has a linguiforni corolla, which at its inferior part is spherical, towards the top it becomes long and tubular, and its margins 

 end in a flat and spearpointed extremity. The pistil is placed in the round cavity of the corol, the germen of which is surrounded by 

 six anthers, which are shorter than the germen itself. The germen has no style, but is provided with an hexagonal stigma, which is very 

 shallow, and on its upper surfxice has imbibing pores. The anthers cannot empty the pollen upon the stigma, as the flower stands always 

 straight upright during the period of flowering. The -pollen therefore must necessarily fall to the bottom of the flower without being used, 

 if no insects come near the flower. And indeed if it be tried, and all insects kept from the flower by a thin, but firmly closed piece of gauze, 

 no seeds will be formed. It happens indeed not unfrequently, that as it is a particular insect which impregnates the flowers, when it is wanting 

 or not able to find the flower, this last withers without. having a single seed. This insect is the Tipula pennicornis. The round bottom of 

 the flower is, in its interior, quite smooth, but the tubular extremity is lined with dense hair, every one of which is turned towards the interior, 

 so as to form a kind of funnel, through which the insect may very easily enter; but cannot without great difficulty return, and is obliged to 

 remain in the cavity. "Uneasy to be confined in so small a space, it creeps constantly to and fro, and so deposits the pollen on the stigma. 

 After this is done, the flower sinks, the hair, which obstructed the passage, shrinks and adheres closely to the sides of the flower; by which 

 means the insect gets free. Who but must admire the wise provision of Nature in fecundating this seemingly trifling flower! 



m to 



