THE FLOWER. 213 



and the wound they inflict accelerates the ripening of the 

 fruit nearly three weeks. I 



Emily. Does the insect produce this effect by the in- 

 jection of some stimulating fluid into the wound it makes, 

 or is it owing to the growth of the eggs it deposits ? 



Mrs. B. The precocity does not appear to result from 

 either of these causes : it is, indeed, not well known ; but 

 I should think may probably result from the punctures of 

 the insects, impeding the free course of the sap, and pro- 

 ducing, like the annular section, an accumulation of sap 

 in those parts, which, by affording additional nourishment 

 to the neighboring buds, accelerate their developement. 

 Have you not observed that fruits which are worm-eaten 

 ripen earliest? 



Emily. Yes ; but I thought that the worms attacked 

 those which were first ripe. 



Mrs. B. I do not allude to the external attacks of 

 worms and insects, but to the maggot born and bred with- 

 in the fruit ; and the nest of eggs, whence it drew its ex- 

 istence, was in all probability the cause of the precocity 

 of the fruit. 



Means may also be taken to retard the period of blos- 

 soming : too much nourishment is injurious at that sea- 

 son, and sometimes wholly prevents it. Much water is 

 also prejudicial : the water is drained from the rice plan- 

 tations when the rice is in flower ; and the watering of 

 gardens should be diminished. Snow late in the spring 

 has, in mountainous countries, been known to retard the 

 blossoming of corn till the following year. 



It is remarkable that the conveyance of plants from one 

 country to another appears to accelerate the period of 

 flowering ; for plants brought from foreign climes blossom 

 earlier than usual, the first year of their emigration. 



Caroline. That is very singular. Can it be owing to 

 the excitement produced by the motion of the carriage ? 



Emily. May it not rather be attributed to the total 

 cessation of vegetation during the journey, when the plant 

 is confined by packing, and the consequent re-action 

 which takes place on its being replanted ? 



1167. By what means did these insects hasten precocity 1 ? 1168. 

 Why does wormy fruit ripen sooner than that which is sound*? 1169. 

 By what means is t^e period of blossoming sometimes retarded? 

 1170. How does moving plants from one country to anothei effect the 

 period of flowering"! 1171. How do Caroline and Emily account for this! 



