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The Great World's Farm 



out its tube, or sometimes several tubes, in the most busi- 

 ness-like manner, and with the most precise and definite 

 aim. The object is to reach one of the ovules below, and 

 to do this the tube, in many cases of more than hair-like 

 fineness, pierces its way downwards through the stalk of 

 the pistil, and makes straight for its aim with unerring- 

 exactness, entering one of the ovules by an opening in it 

 which exists for this purpose. 



Sometimes the tube may take months to reach the 

 ovule, but more usually it accomplishes its purpose in a 

 few days or hours. As soon as it has made its way into 

 the ovule, it begins to pass into it the fluid contents of the 

 pollen-grain, and the ovule begins to grow. 



But the ovule does more than grow, it acquires a new 

 character. At first it was a mere speck of matter, con- 

 taining a germ-cell, indeed, but no germ, no rudimentary 

 or embryo plantlet, such as one may see on splitting open 

 a bean, pea, nut, or any other seed large enough for the 

 purpose. The tube sent out by the pollen-grain enters 

 the ovule, and the germ is developed and vivified by the 

 liquid which passes down it. The seed, which before was 

 unfertile, and could never have germinated and produced 

 a plant, is now fertilized, made fruitful, and if allowed to 

 come to maturity it will be capable of producing a plant 

 like that by which it is borne. 



It is quite possible in certain cases for ovules to grow 

 and even to attain the size of seeds without being seeds, 

 without having within them any living germ capable of 

 independent hfe and growth. For each ovule is attached 

 to the walls of its nursery, as one may see by looking 

 at the peas in a pod, and is fed from the leaves. But 

 unless it receives also the liquid contained in the pollen- 



