THE FRAGRANT CALLA 9 



But doubtless the carrion beetle finds the odor 

 of decayed meat a much more attractive aroma 

 than the odor of orange blossoms. 



And, to make direct application to the case in 

 hand, unquestionably the flies and other insects 

 that are useful to the calla in pollenizing its flowers 

 would be quite unattracted by the sweet and 

 pervasive odor that is given out by the new race 

 of fragrant callas which I am about to describe. 



HOTV THE CALLA Is FERTILIZED 



It was on inhaling the perfume of my fragrant 

 calla that the visitor made the remark I have 

 quoted. And she followed it with this question: 



"If the odor of plants is of use to them in 

 attracting bees, why do not all the callas have a 

 perfume like this new one you have developed?" 



And here again a moment's reflection would 

 perhaps have supplied the answer. The calla 

 does not need to attract the bee, therefore the 

 production of the chemical substances that give 

 out a sweet perfume would have been a waste of 

 energy for this flower. Perhaps there may have 

 been a time in the past when the calla, like so 

 many other flowers, depended on bees for cross- 

 fertilization, and lured them with its odor; but 

 nowadays the process of cross-fertilization in 

 this plant is effected in a quite different fashion. 



