FLOWERS 



389 



all\ a great deal of plant food is stored, so that when it 

 begins to grow it will have plenty of nourishment until it is 

 able to develop the roots 

 and leaves necessary to 

 prepare its own food. 



Embryos cann(3t be 

 produced unless pollen 

 grains and egg cells unite, 

 so it is absolutely essen- 

 tial that the right kind of 

 pollen grains be brought 

 to the stigma. Some 

 stigmas are able to use 

 the pollen grains pro- 

 duced by the anthers of 

 their own flowers, but 

 others can only use pollen 

 from other flowers and 

 other plants. It is there- 

 fore necessary that these 

 pollen grains be carried 

 about from flower to 

 flower if fertile seeds are 

 to be produced. 



In some cases the pol- 

 len is borne about by the 

 wind, as in the case of 



EAR OF CORN 



Each kernel is the result of a wind-blown 

 pollen grain falling upon a corn-silk. 



corn. In this way an exceedingly large number of pollen 

 grains are wasted, as can be seen by the great amount of 

 yellow pollen scattered over the ground of a cornfield when 

 the corn is in bloom. In the corn each one of the corn 

 silks is a pistil and a seed is produced at its base if a pollen 



