13 



pose of fructifying the fruit-bearing trees which pro- 

 duce only Pistilla. It also appears from the same 

 author, that the Pollen, which had been preserved for 

 this purpose, had been kept for eighteen years with- 

 out losing its fertilizing property. 



To illustrate the importance of the Stamina and 

 Pistilla, Linnaeus made a decisive experiment on the 

 Horned-Poppy. He stripped off the Stamina from 

 two separate flowers, and afterwards, from a distance, 

 brought the Pollen of a third and sprinkled the Stigma 

 of one of these which he had so deprived of its Sta- 

 mina: the seed of this Poppy came to maturity, 

 which he so fertilized, and the other did not; the 

 experiment was frequently repeated with the same 

 result. 



It is upon the knowledge of these principles of 

 nature that our countryman, Mr. Andrew Knight, 

 has produced new apples, and also some varieties 

 of leguminous vegetables. By taking the Pollen 

 from one species and fertilizing the Pistilla of 

 others of a different kind, but of the same natural 

 Genus, he has produced a pea of a larger and finer 

 sort than any we were before acquainted with. 



The Stamina and Pistilla being demonstrated 

 to be essential parts of a plant, Linnaeus made them 

 the basis of his system, which he divided into twenty- 

 four classes ; twenty-three of which have their dis- 

 tinctions founded on the number, and situation or ar- 

 rangement of the Stamina ; and the twenty-fourth is 

 made to include all those plants which, from the ob- 



