34 



FLOWERS. 



Involucre, Dogwood. 



ripen so fast, and the flowers 

 are fair and fresh for many 

 days, and even weeks, instead 

 of yielding to the first bright- 

 ness of the season. For the 

 moment the great object for 

 which the flower is produced is. 

 accomplished, which is the per- 

 fection of the seed, it imme- 

 diately commences to wither, 

 the petals become flaccid, the 

 colors lose their brightness and 

 beauty, and they soon either 

 fold themselves within the calyx, or fall unheeded to 

 the ground. Upon the fading of the corolla, the seed 

 commences to grow, and the ovary which contains it 

 gradually increases until the seed becomes ripe, when 

 it bursts from its confinement, and falls to take root 

 in the earth, and become itself a plant like that which 

 bore it. 



There are many curious and interesting forms no- 

 ticed in the fruits of different plants ; some of them 

 have such valuable uses assigned them by man, that 

 without them life would be robbed of many of its 

 luxuries and comforts. The Apples which load our 

 orchard trees, the Peaches and Pears and Plums in 

 almost endless variety, the Grapes and other berries 

 which hang in clusters from our vines, the nuts which 

 lie scattered beneath our forest trees, and above all the 

 grain upon which we depend mainly for our suste- 



