2€o THE PHILOSOPHY 



hermaphrodite plants ; becaufe they are impradlicable, without 

 wounding and injuring the tender flowers. By forcing open the 

 petals fome days before they would naturally unfold, the interior 

 parts of the flowers are prematurely expofed to the adtion of the 

 air, of dews, and of the fun's rays. Befides, no man can determine 

 what changes the young feeds may undergo, what injury they may 

 fuffer, by an unnatural deprivation of the ftamina. In every flower 

 treated in this rough manner, an extravafation of fap muft una- 

 voidably be produced. If a pregnant animal is wounded, and in a 

 part too fo intimately connedted with the foetus, what reafon have 

 we to expeft a fertile and well-proportioned offspring ? 



Spalanzani next proceeded to trials on the monoecious plants, or 

 ihofe which bear both male and female flowers feparately on the 

 fame individual. In fpring 1777, he fowed two fpecies of the pum- 

 pion, which belong to this divifion of plants, in a fituation removed 

 from every fufpicion of foreign connexion by means of the wind 

 er of infedts. ' In the beginning of June,' fays he, ' two indivi- 

 ' duals, for I had ordered two only to be raifed, were juft beginning 



* to put forth a few flower-buds towards the bottom of the ftalk. 



* At this early period, the male flowers may be eafily diftinguilhed 



* from the female. The former, alfo denominated barren by bota- 



* nifts, have a flender ftalk ; while the ftalk of the latter, where it 

 ' joins the calyx, forms a tumor, confifting of the immature fruit. 

 ' I paid daily vifits to thefe two individuals, and very carefully 

 *" watched the progrefs of both forts of flowers. That there might- 

 ' be no fufpicion of the pollen exerting any influence upon the fe- 



* males, the males were deftroyed at their firft appearance. As fruit, 

 ' when a fmall quantity only is left upon a plant, is fooner ripe, 

 '" and grows to a larger fize, becaufe it receives a greater quantity of 

 *" nutritious juice, I left on each of my two individuals two flowers 

 '' only. The buds that made their appearance afterwards were ta- 



' keiii 



