AND THE WILDERNESS BLOSSOMED 



care it apparently takes to secure cross-fertiliza- 

 tion. When the blossom first opens, and the 

 anther is laden with pollen, the style 

 remains tightly closed at the tip, so 

 that none of its own pollen can enter 

 and fertilize the seed. As soon as 

 the pollen is all brushed off, the tip 

 of the stamen opens, funnel like, 

 and the very next bee that comes 

 along is sure to deposit enough 

 pollen from another plant to fertilize the seeds. 

 Watch the bees at work sometime. You will 

 notice that the lower blossoms open first, and 

 they taper in various stages toward the top, 

 where only the green buds appear. 

 Now when the bee comes along, 

 he seeks his nectar first from the 

 well-opened blossoms below, and 

 then works upward. So you see he 

 has deposited his load of pollen on 

 the flower that was ready for it, and 

 as he goes up the stalk he takes on 

 again a fresh load to fertilize the 

 flower on the next plant on which he calls. Take 

 your pen-knife the next time you are in the garden, 

 and slit up the petal of the flower, so you may 



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