I-2O THE FIRST BOOK OF FARMING 



pollen. This pollen is produced within the anther 

 which, when ripe, bursts and discharges the pollen. 



The stamens vary greatly in number in different 

 kinds of flowers. In the centre of the cherry, peach, 

 or mustard flower will be found an upright slender 

 body called the pistil. In the peach and cherry the 

 pistil has three parts, a lower rounded, somewhat 

 swollen part called the ovary, a slender stem aris- 

 ing from it called the style, and a slight enlarge- 

 ment at the top of the style called the stigma. The 

 stigma is generally roughened or sticky. If the 

 ovary is split open, within it will be found a little 

 body called an ovule, which is to develop into a seed. 



In the apple flower the pistils will be found to 

 have one ovary with five styles and stigmas and in 

 the ovary will be several ovules. 



In the buttercup will be found a large number of 

 small pistils, each consisting of an ovary and stigma. 



The parts of different flowers will be found to 

 vary in color, in shape, in relative size and in num- 

 ber. In some flowers one or more of the parts will 

 be found wanting. 



Examine a number of flowers and find the parts. 



FUNCTIONS OF THE PARTS OF THE FLOWERS 



Now what are the uses of these parts of the 

 flower ? 



If we watch a flower of the peach or cherry from 

 week to week, we will see that the pistil develops 

 into a peach or cherry which bears within a seed 



