122 TILLEKS OF THE GKOUND CHAP. 



which enables the plant to start growing very 

 quickly in the spring. 



Finally, let us look at the fruits. They are 

 very different from either seeds or roots. The 

 substances in the fruits are of no direct use to the 

 seeds, they are given away as a bribe to persuade 

 some animal to carry away the precious seeds to a 

 distance from the parent plant. Look' at a bird 

 pecking at a wild -rose hip. He pecks the nice red 

 cover, which is sweet and pleasant. But as he 

 pecks he breaks through the red cover, and the 

 hairy seeds come out. They stick to his beak in 

 an uncomfortable way, so he wipes his bill on the 

 ground to get rid of them. In that way he plants 

 the seeds, which would otherwise fall close to the 

 mother rose and be choked by all growing together. 

 The rose, therefore, practically says to the bird : 

 " You carry my seeds away for me and I will give 

 you some nice sugary pulp for your trouble." 



It is like giving a boy a pennyworth of sweets 

 to carry a message. But the rose has to be 

 economical ; it must provide for its own children, 

 the seeds, first. It is as if the rose said to itself: 

 " I cannot give the bird who carries my message for 

 me proteid, because my own children need all I 

 can give them. I cannot give him fat, because 

 that is dear too, but I have plenty of starch and 

 sugar, he can have that, and I will give him as 



