Blossom and Seed 205 



more vigorous plants than self-fertilized seed does. But 

 still, as wild plants have to keep their own place in the 

 world, which they cannot do without offspring, it is 

 better for them to have some seed, even poor seed, 

 rather than none at all. And to ensure this some 

 plants manage to bear seed of both sorts ; some fer- 

 tilized by the pollen of its own blossom, some if possible 

 by that brou<;ht from outside, so that if by any chance 

 the latter should fail, they may still have something to 

 fall back upon. 



There is, for instance, that ubiquitous little plant, 

 the common chickweed — weak-stemmed and fragile- 

 looking, but not in the smallest danger of dying out, 

 for it goes on sowing itself through many months of 

 the year. Its first crop of seed is fertilized quite early 

 in the spring, so early that the plant is left to itself, 

 and has to make the best of its own pollen, which it 

 does in the most thrifty way possible. The pollen is 

 never scattered, so there is no waste, but, while still in 

 the anther-sacs, it sends out tubes in the direction of 

 the pistil-tip, which it reaches without fail. This pro- 

 cess takes place while the flowers are still only buds, so 

 that pollen and tubes are carefully protected. The 

 seed thus produced may be poor, much of it may even 

 be useless, but at least what there is, is better than 

 none ; and later in the season, if circumstances are 

 favourable, better seed will be produced by pollen 

 brought from other plants. 



Generally speaking, pollen grains do not begin to 

 swell until they actually touch the moist tip of the 

 pistil, but in these early blossoms of the chickweed 

 and some other plants, they never leave the anthers. 

 The sweet violet, in like manner, bears some buds. 



