THE PLANT 49 



cuds, since the history of the ripening fruit requires a 

 separate chapter to itself ; but it should be remembered 

 that fresh flowers are opening day after day, for a period 

 which is not usually less than two months, upon the 

 scaffolding of branches (PL VII.), and that all these are 

 being acted upon successively by all the factors of the 

 environment which we have mentioned, and by others ; 

 by internal factors such as self-poisoning, and its anti- 

 dotes, the whole result being moulded upon the basis 

 of inherited capabilities for reaction. 



It is convenient to think of these environmental 

 factors as acting in two ways: either as "constructive," 



influencing the rate of construction of the 

 Constructive 



and scaffolding; or as "modifying," producing 



Modifying deformation of the results which would 

 >rs * have been anticipated from the constructed 

 scaffolding. Thus, sufficient scaffolding may have been 

 laid down to produce a certain yield in a certain way, but 

 the action of water shortage may produce shedding, 

 attacks of insect pests may check the development of 

 the buds, or a frost may kill the whole plant ; such factors 

 are modificatory (PL VIII..). 



