DISCURSIVE. 113 



Rows six feet apart, and trees one foot apart in the row, 7,315 trees per 

 :re. 



Rows eight feet apart, and one foot apart in the row, 5,434 trees per 

 :re. 



Rows ten feet apart, and one foot apart in the row, 4,389 trees per acre. 

 One mile of wind-breaks or shelter belt requires 5,280 trees or cuttings 

 for a single row, one foot apart in the row. 



acre 

 R( 



acre 



MECHANISM OF A FLOWER. 



The chief parts of a flower are its stamens and pistils in its center. 

 Given these sex-organs, though the petals, color and perfume be wanting, 

 yet we have a true seed-bearing flower. The top of each stamen is a little 

 box of pollen; the bottom of each pistil is a little box of seed germs. The 

 pollen ripens slowly in the stamen case, but, becoming ripe, it must be 

 released and reach the seed germ. The top of each pistil is a stigma, or 

 little sticky cushion, to which the pollen dust will be likely to adhere if 

 brought in contact with it. Once landed on the stigma the pollen seed 

 bursts and sends a minute aliment of growth down the style of the pistil to 

 the seed germs lying in the box at its base. Thus the seed germs are ferti- 

 lized; they begin to grow into seeds. Unless these new seeds were con- 

 stantly reproduced, the world of plants must soon end, and therewith also 

 the animal world. It is the aim of the plant to assume the continuance of 

 its kind by getting the pollen dust safely landed on the pistil. 



SEX-COMMERCE OF PLANTS. 



But helpfulness is needed from some quarter. The wind comes into 

 play, but often fails to do the work. We must understand that stamen 

 flowers and pistil flowers are not always on the same plants, nor always 

 on the same tree. And we should appreciate the laws of evolution, alike ap- 

 plicable to plants as to the animal kingdom, that we have the best improved 

 kinds when the pollen comes to the pistil from some other flower than its 

 own. As the pollen is a commodity of sex-commerce, it must be carried 

 about. What agency has nature provided to meet this necessity? Why, 

 the honey-seeking insects. 



INSECTS COLLECTING POLLEN. 



Most insects have a long tongue or pipe for eating or drinking. This 

 pipe may shut up like a telescope or coil up like a watch spring. With 

 this long tube the insect can poke into the slim cups, horns and folds of 

 flowers of varied shapes. Who that has seen a big bee busy in a lily or 

 trumpet flower, an ant come crawling from the tiny throat of a thyme 



