52 PICTURING MIRACLES 



or have male and female blossoms on the same plant, 

 or the entire tree may have that distinction. A per- 

 fect flower having all the essential parts would have 

 a calyx, or protection for the bud, the petals, few or 

 many, the anther and the pistil. 



Reproduction is carried on in several ways. The 

 most common method is by fertile seeds and every 

 part of the blossom and its movements are pre-or- 

 dained to that one end, to some way, somehow, trans- 

 port its pollen grains from its anthers to the stigma 

 of a similar flower and receive the tiny golden grains 

 from its brothers and sisters in return. I have found 

 the whole life story of a flower as dramatically in- 

 triguing as to watch nature unfolding step by step 

 in our own lives or follow it chapter by chapter in a 

 well-written novel. 



Watch the struggle of a large bud to open. Make 

 notes if you really wish to observe all and remember 

 all that happens. Very little visible to the unaided 

 eye occurs until just before its natural time of open- 

 ing, which is always the same hour of the day or 

 night, remarkably uniform in its habits. Fully ninety 

 percent of the wild flowers start to open in the early 

 evening or very early morning hours. One could set 

 his watch by their opening or closing, their habits 

 are so regular. Picking or digging them, bringing 

 them into the laboratory and putting them in front 



