414 KANSAS CITY REVIEW O^F SCIENCE. 



for that purpose. There are three different methods by which this fertilization 

 takes place. 



Flowers are composed of two sets of organs— stamens and pistils. These 

 answer to the male and female organs in animals. The stamens produce the pol- 

 len that must come in contact with the pistils through which the ovules or rudi- 

 mentary seeds are reached and fertilized. In the first method by which fertiliza- 

 tion takes place both sets of organs are arranged in the same flower. These are 

 termed perfect or hermaphrodite flowers. In some cases the stamens of these 

 flowers are placed in direct contact with the stigma of the pistil so that fertiliza- 

 tion takes place by contact ] in others the pollen falls or is thrown upon it; while in 

 still others the organs are so arranged with reference to each other that the insects 

 that visit the flowers for their nectar carry the pollen from one flower and deposit 

 it on the pistil of another. But in whatever way this result is brought about 

 there is always a large surplus of pollen produced that answers no useful purpose. 

 Of this class of plants the rose family and most garden plants are examples. 



In the second or monoecious class the different organs of the plant are ar- 

 ranged in different flowers on the same plant. Here the pollen must be convey- 

 ed from the staminate to the pistillate flowers by the agency of gravitation, winds 

 or insects. In this process of course a very large proportion of the pollen is lost. 

 We have examples of this class in the walnut, squash and corn. In the third and 

 last class, called the dioecious, the different organs grow upon entirely different 

 plants. The poplars, mulberry and hemp are illustrations of this mode of fertil- 

 ization. In this case it often happens that the plants bearing the male organs 

 are at a long distance — even some miles — from those that bear the female flowers. 

 Here the agency of winds and insects must be employed in conveying the fertiliz- 

 ing elements from the one to the other. In all these different cases the amount 

 of pollen that is actually employed in fertilizing the flowers of the various plants 

 is but a very small part of all that is produced. In many cases, probably not one- 

 thousandth, if indeed it is above one-millionth part of that which has been pro- 

 duced. Let any one pass through a field of corn at the time the pollen is mostly 

 fallen from the tassels and if it be a dry time he will find the whole surface of the 

 ground literally covered with the shed pollen. Why this great waste? It may 

 be answered that under the circumstances this great surplus is necessary to insure 

 perfect fertilization. But it may be answered that any system that requires such 

 a waste of materials to accomplish the desired end certainly has the appearance 

 of being a very prodigal and imperfect one. 



Still another example of wasteful prodigality in the vegetable kingdom is seen 

 in the superfluous amount of seeds that are constantly produced above that 

 which can by any possibility serve any useful purpose. I do not forget, nor 

 would I overlook the fact, that a large part of the grains and seeds annually pro- 

 duced are used for food by man, beast and bird; but aside from this a large pro- 

 portion of that which is produced from year to year fails to meet any want in. 

 either the animal or vegetable kingdom so far as we' are able to discover. TO' 

 impress this fact on the mind let us use a simple illustration.^ Let us take the 



