172 ON THE DISSECTION OF FLOWERS. 



season, and I could review my sketch; but all flowers in 

 this respect are the same. 



I shall first dissect the flower by removing skin from skin 

 How to dissect as the easiest method of making it thoroughly comprehend- 

 ed. I shall in the second place cut the flower down the 

 middle ; halving the pistil ; by which means the interior, 

 with the vessels which run up to each part, must be exactly 

 displayed: and lastly I shull give you a vegetable cutting of 

 the flower, just where the vessels divide under it, and run, 

 up the bark to form the calyx, the inner bark to form the 

 corolla, the wood to form the stamen, and the line of life to 

 complete the pistil : and this will, I hope, make the descrip- 

 tion so plain, that I shall not again be obliged to return to 



the subject. Plate IV, fig. 1, is the bud of the peach. I 



Explanation „ ° , , . . , . , ,, . 



of the plate, first remove the scales A A, whicn generally go on shooting 



as long as the severe weather continues. I then with great 

 ease remove the calyx. It is seldom possible to get it off 

 whole, as it must be removed without displacing the corolla; 

 which is difficult to do: but custom soon teaches the way. 

 The calyx, when taken off, is seen at fig. 2: BB are the 

 reservoirs of a glutinous liquid, resembling the juices of the 

 bark, which appear, by varnishing the exterior, to defend it 

 from the attack of vermin ; which from its delicacy would 

 otherwise cause it to become a complete victim. This part 

 has no connexion with the nectary, which I shall not at- 

 tempt to point out in this letter, but keep that part for a se- 

 parate paper, which it well deserves, CC are the vessels which 

 run down till branching off to the bark. Fig. 3 is next taken 

 off. It is a green skin belonging to the inner bark ; which 

 is fastened to the corolla, and conveys the regular vessels DT5 

 from the inner bark of the stem to each separate petal. 

 Within these vessels (as I have before observed) are the 

 juices of the inner bark, and the spiral wires which are thus 

 carried up to perform their office of opening and shutting the 

 flower. Next to this is fig. 4, which is a very thin skin of 

 white ; and a very thick one of yellow matter between which 

 are concealed the vessels which convey the juices that form 

 the pollen, and carry it first to the filaments, and thence to 

 the anthers. Thus they are most plainly three separate cy» 

 linders, capable of being divided, and placed together again ; 



fiff- 4. 



