The TDisaroeries of Four Great "Botanists 



settled by Linnaeus, who reaffirmed the facts de- 

 clared by Grew, and verified them by such absolute 

 proof that no further doubts could be entertained. 

 The inference of these early authorities regarding 

 this process of fertilization or pollination of the 

 stigma is perfectly clear from their statements. The 

 stamens in most flowers were seen to surround the 

 pistil, '' and, of course, the presumption was that they 

 naturally shed the pollen upon the stigma," as illus- 

 trated at B, Fig. 2 and in Fig. 3. The construction 

 of most flowers certainly seems designed to fulfil, 

 and frequently does fulfil, this end, but Nature does 

 her best to prevent such an occurrence, favoring a 

 very different process. 



This theory might account, then, for the functions 

 of the stamens and pistil ; but what relation did 

 color, fragrance, honey, and 

 insect association bear to this 

 problem of seed production ? 

 Had they anything to do with 

 it, and if they had, what part 

 did they play ? 



SOME EARLY SPECULATIONS 



Some of the early specula- 

 tions 



Fig. -x. 



rea^ardinof these phe- 

 curious. 



5 



nomena were very 



Patrick Blair, for 



