The Fruit and the Seed. 



101 



nate)) and pistil-bearing (pistillate (pis' -til -late)) flowers 

 are both produced on the same plant, and dioecious when 

 produced on different plants*only, as in the hop and date. 

 In a few plants, as the strawberry (155) and asparagus, 

 some individuals produce perfect, and some imperfect 

 flowers. 



155. Planting with Reference to Pollination is important 

 in certain plants. All dioecious plants (154) intended 

 for seed or fruit must have staminate and pistillate plants 

 growing near together or they will not be productive. 

 The hop plant and date palm are of this class. 



The flowers of many 

 of our most productive 

 varieties of strawberry 

 yield little or no pollen 

 and are unproductive, 

 unless growing near 

 pollen-bearing sorts 



FIG. 56. Imperfect flower of the straw- (FigS. 56, 57 ). In many 



FIG. 56. 



FIG. 57. 



varieties of American 



, . . 



and in Certain 



FIG. 57. Perfect flower of same. The 

 numerous pistils appear in a circular 

 mass at the center, around which the varieties Of the pear 

 stamens are seen in Fig. 57. 



the pollen, even though 



produced freely, is infertile on stigmas of the same 

 variety. To insure fecundation, it is wise to mingle varie- 

 ties in fruit plantations rather than to plant large blocks of a 

 single variety. 



SECTION XL THE FRUIT AND THE SEED 

 156. The Fruit, as the term is used in botany, is the 

 mature ovary with its contents and adherent parts,- it 

 may be hard and dry, as in the wheat and bean, or soft 



