334 JOHN DUNCAN, WEAVER AND BOTANIST. 



certain time at the beginning of winter, of which he would 

 apprise them, they should all reassemble there, to witness 

 the fulfilment of what he had said. There they parted 

 as the sun set, and though trying to think it a good 

 joke, the young bucolic critics felt their merriment some 

 what restrained, as if " coming events cast their shadows 

 before." 



Next day, having to visit Insch beyond Auchleven in 

 connection with his work, John went to a locality he knew, 

 crowded with juniper, where he selected a large branch 

 from a male plant on which the pollen was ripe and 

 unusually abundant. This he carried all the way by the 

 winding footpath over " the back o' the hill," across the 

 bridge of Don, and home to Netherton, with the pollen 

 safely preserved no easy task on those breezy heights, 

 over so long a distance. Next day was bright and sunny, 

 and he bore his tender burden to the solitary bush on the 

 hill. When the sun was in all his glory, shedding, refulgent, 

 the necessary light, heat and electrical influences for as 

 John remarked, " the plants are creatures o' licht, and all 

 their little transactions are done in open day, having no 

 evil to hide " he shook the pollen-laden branch above the 

 open flowers below, sprinkling them skilfully with the all- 

 potent dust. When he visited the spot alone some time 

 after, he saw the complete success of his bold experiment, 

 in the formation of a host of baby berries. 



In due course, when the fruit had reached maturity, he 

 summoned his tormentors, who had forgotten all about their 

 encounter with the botanist, to witness the result. Their 

 surprise may be better imagined than described. As they 

 stood speechless and astounded at the sight for, as John 



