PRODUCTION OF NEW VARIETIES. 



57 



the ovary it penetrates it, and coming in contact -with the germs 

 that are in the ovary, fertilizes them, or in other words, imparts 



Fig. 38. Fig. 39. Fig. 40. Fig. 41. 



to them the power of growth and development into perfect seeds. 

 In Fig. 40, t represents the lower end of this pollen rootlet 

 entering the ovary, and in Fig. 41 it is seen after it has entered 

 the ovary and come in contact 

 with the germ e. Fig. 42 

 represents an apple blossom 

 cut in two, and by comparing I 

 this with Fig. 37, it will be 

 seen that the apple blossom 

 has three pistils, while the 

 cherry blossom has but one. 

 This diversity exists in a yet ^- '*2. 



greater degree in the strawberry blossom, which has a very great 

 number of pistils; but whatever the number of pistils, the pro- 

 cess is ever the same, the pollen must reach the germ through 

 the pistil or pistils, or the germ will perish, and in the case of 

 numerous pistils, it will be seen that each pistil supplies its own 

 division of the seed vessel or ovary with the needed pollen. 

 That these organs may be the more readily recognized, they 

 are shown separate from the flower. Figure 43 shows, at the 

 left hand, the stamen, with the anther on the top, from which 



