THE FLOWER. 215 



lost. Rain, and even heavy mists, the latter of which, 

 still more than the former, insinuates itself into the flower, 

 very frequently produces this effect. 



Caroline. But all blossoms are exposed to mists and 

 showers : how then can any fruit be set ? 



Mrs. B. It is evident that Nature has decorated plants 

 with a much greater number of blossoms, than she de- 

 signed to convert into fruit, for the plant would have no 

 means of bringing so great a quantity to maturity. Look 

 at an apple or a cherry tree in blossom, and you will 

 observe, that were every flower to produce a fruit, not on- 

 ly would it be impossible for the tree to nourish so great 

 a crop, but even its branches would be unable to sustain 

 them. Therefore, though every shower may destroy, or, 

 rather, prevent the formation of a quantity of fruit, it would 

 require heavy and continued rains to prove fatal to the 

 whole. This, however, sometimes happens, particularly 

 to the vine, which in wine countries is a very serious ca- 

 lamity. 



I have still some further observations to make on flow- 

 ers, but I think you have learnt as much to-day as you 

 can well remember ; we will, therefore, reserve what re- 

 mains to be said on them till we meet again. In the mean 

 time you may refresh your memory on what I have taught 

 you by examining the drawing [Plate I.] in which the 

 various organs of a plant are delineated in the represen- 

 tation of a pea. 



The second drawing [Plate II.] represents a plant of 

 the class of Monocotyledons of the lilaceous family, in 

 which it is a disputed point whether the colored part of 

 the flower is a corolla or a calyx. 



Emily. It has, surely, much more the appearance of 

 a corolla composed of six petals, than of a calyx consist- 

 ing of six folioles. One of these two organs, then, is 

 wanting in this family ? 



Mrs. B. In order to avoid error by deciding which of 

 them it is, botanists call the colored part of a flower of this 

 description a perigone or perianth, composed of one or 

 more pieces ; that of the tulip has six. 



1177. What question does Caroline ask concerning the effect of water 

 on the production of fruit! 1178. How does Mrs. B. answer it? 

 1179. What does Plate I represent! 1180. How is it explained"; 

 1181. What does Plate II represent! 1182. How is that explained! 



