142 HISTORY OF FRUITS. 



satisfied that the glutinous moisture on the stigmata of 

 flowers, has an attraction for the pollen of the anther of 

 its kind only ; else, when a variety of flowers were blos- 

 soming at the same time, we should have the rose im- 

 pregnating the lily, and the wheat giving its generating 

 powder to the poppy. All animals and insects, when 

 left to nature, couple with their kinds. Vegetables do 

 the same, although it is now clearly ascertained that it is 

 possible to make the stigma of one blossom receive the 

 pollen of another, if it is prevented from taking that of 

 its own species ; and thus we have within these last few 

 years so great a variety of new flowers and fruits. 



The date-tree grows very rapidly, and will produce 

 fruit in some countries in the third year, while in others 

 it is from four to six years before it begins to bear. When 

 arrived at maturity, it makes no change, but remains in 

 the same state for three generations, according to the ac- 

 count of the Arabs. Like most other fruits, the date re- 

 quires cultivation to have it good, as the fruit which is 

 produced from trees which have been raised from seed is 

 poor and ill-tasted, while those trees which are reared 

 from the shoots, give dates of a good quality. 



The young shoots when taken from the male tree pro- 

 duce male plants, and the female suckers produce fruit- 

 bearing trees. 



When we observe the constant uniformity of nature in 

 its productions, it is difficult to bring ourselves to a belief 

 of what we read in the Memoirs of the Academy of 

 Gottingen ; that by planting the seed of the date in such 

 a manner as that the side in which is the deepest incision 

 be turned towards the heaven, a female tree will be pro- 

 duced, and if reversed, a male tree will be procured. 



The flowers of both sexes come out in very long 

 bunches from the trunk between the leaves, and are 



