3IO STUDIES IN SEEDS AND FRUITS 



method employed consisted in making observations system- 

 atically during the five or six weeks preceding the fall of the 

 acorn from its cupule in October. On each occasion a number 

 of fruits were gathered from the same two or three trees, and 

 ten were selected for examination and experiment. The vital 

 connection with the parent plant is maintained by the attach- 

 ment of the base of the fruit to its cupule. When the acorn 

 begins to " brown " this attachment to the cupule begins to 

 loosen, the result evidently of the drying of the pericarp or 

 shell. The " browning " and drying of the shell proceed until 

 the biological union with the cupule is severed, when at a 

 touch the acorn falls to the ground. 



With regard to the table on opposite page it may be observed 

 that the acorns of the experiment in 1 908 were larger and heavier 

 than those employed in 19 10, a difference that will explain the 

 divergencies in the absolute weights. The results of many 

 observations are embodied and stated numerically ; but there 

 is much that of necessity finds no expression in the figures. 

 A careful examination is needed before the data here tabulated 

 can be used legitimately, and especially is it requisite that 

 those making use of them should know a little of the acorn 

 and its ways. As far as is consistent with its being a tabular 

 statement, the author has endeavoured to make it as self- 

 explanatory as possible. But he can hardly expect his readers, 

 whilst perusing the dry array of numerical results, to invest 

 them with the interest they created in his mind as they 

 gradually disclosed their story in the course of a fascinating 

 piece of investigation. That interest they can only acquire by 

 going to the Oak themselves and by appealing to the balance 

 in an inquiry that should at least cover two seasons. The secret 

 of vivipary will lie behind the results of their observations. 



To show how this table is to be employed I will take one 

 of the entries, that of September 27, 19 10. It is here indicated 

 that in a freshly gathered acorn, weighing 50 grains, the shell 

 or pericarp weighed 19 and the seed 31 grains. In other 

 words, as stated in the next two columns, taking the weight of 



