1 88 The Great World's Farm 



by different plants; and in the great market- gardens of 

 America, where this is grown, it is usual to plant one row 

 of barren plants to every three rows of fertile ones, leaving 

 the bees to do the rest. 



A great deal has to be done to insure the thorough 

 fertilization of the strawberry-ovules, for there are from a 

 hundred to three hundred in each fertile blossom, and 

 there are an equal number of pistils. The pistils are set 

 upon a cone-shaped receptacle in the center of the blos- 

 som; each one contains in its ovary a single ovule, and 

 the ovary and ovule ripening together, develop into a tiny 

 nut, which is the fruit properly speaking. 



As the nuts grow, the conical receptacle on which they 

 are set grows too, and becomes soft, fleshy, and sweet, 

 forming what we erroneously call the * 'berry." 



But if the "berry" is to grow properly, every one of 

 the pistils must receive a few grains of pollen, and if any 

 are left out, the ovules belonging to them do not grow, 

 and the part of the receptacle which surrounds them does 

 not grow either, but remains hard. The hard spots some- 

 times found in strawberries, with a number of little "seeds" 

 crowded together, are due simply to the fact that the 

 ovules have not been fertilized, and have withered instead 

 of growing. 



So, too, with the raspberry. Each one of the sixty or 

 seventy little fruits composing the "berry" depends upon 

 pollen for the power of developing not only its seed, but 

 also the sweet, juicy envelope surrounding each seed. 

 Towards the end of the season these often fail and wither, 

 because the bees are either dying off, or do not care to 

 come out unless the weather is tempting. 



Then, again, with apples; one may often see an apple 



