292 THE STORY-BOOK OF SCIENCE 



4 'I see little seeds in regular rows in two compart- 

 ments, " observed Jules. 



"Do you know what those hardly visible seeds 

 are?" 



"Not yet." 



"They are the future seeds of the plant. The 

 ovary, then, is the part of the plant where the seeds 

 form. At a certain time the flower withers ; the pet- 

 als wilt and fall ; the calyx does the same, or remains 

 to play the part of protector a while longer; the dried 

 stamens break off; only the ovary remains, growing 

 larger, ripening, and finally becoming the fruit. 



"Every fruit the pear, apple, apricot, peach, 

 walnut, cherry, melon, strawberry, almond, chest- 

 nut began by being a little swelling of the pistil; 

 all these excellent things that the plant furnishes us 

 for food were first ovaries." 



"A pear began by being the ovary of a pear blos- 

 som?" 



"Yes, my child; pears, apples, cherries, apricots, 

 begin by being the ovaries of their respective flow- 

 ers. I will show you an apricot in its blossom." 



Uncle Paul took an apricot blossom, opened it with 

 his penknife, and showed the children what is here 

 shown in the picture. 



"In the heart of the flower you see the pistil sur- 

 rounded by numerous stamens. The head that ter- 

 minates it at the top is the stigma; the swelling at 

 the bottom is the ovary or future apricot. ' ' 



' ' That little green thing would have been an apri- 

 cot, full of sweet juice, that I like so much ! ' ' inquired 

 Emile. 



