12 MYSTERIES OF THE FLOWERS 



food and drink, and their "place in the sun." Thus 

 they fight the struggle for existence. 



Secondly, they proceed to bear flowers and pro- 

 duce seeds in great quantity, in order that their 

 family may continue. 



Thirdly, they make a distinct effort to strengthen 

 and improve their offspring, so that their race may 

 survive. This we might call eugenics, and experi- 

 ments show that cross-fertilisation is a very impor- 

 tant factor to that end. If the individuals die there 

 will be no race, but if the race deteriorates there 

 will ultimately be no more individuals. 



Granting, then, that Darwin was correct in as- 

 serting that there exists a system prevalent among 

 the flowers, which he called cross-fertilisation, let us 

 examine as many flowers as we can and discover : 



First, what benefit accrues to the race of plants 

 by this system; second, by what various means is 

 the pollen transferred from flower to flower; and, 

 third, are all flowers always cross-fertilised, or are 

 some of them, sometimes, self-fertilised, and, if so, 

 by what means. 



THE UTILITY OF CROSS-FERTILISATION 



Plants are not restricted to a well-made garden, 

 in a mild climate, generously watered and with rich 

 soil. They grow and flourish in every zone from 



