178 



FLOWERS IN RELATION TO BEES. 



of its flower, you must always remember this most 

 important fact— the great law of life in all flowering 

 plants — that before that tiny 

 little beginning of a seed, of 

 which I spoke, can come to 

 perfection, and -be a ripe seed, 

 some small portion of the fine 

 pollen -diist from the end of a 

 stamen must fall, or be placed, 

 upon the stigma of the pistil. 

 Unless this happens, the flower 

 fades and falls, and no fruit or 

 seed follows. When it does take place, then the great 

 object of the flower is attained. The flower is ' fer- 

 tilised,' as it is termed, and, in the case of the cherry, 

 just for one instance, 



Section of Cherry Blosoms. 



the flower gives 

 place, after a time, 

 to the luscious fruit, 

 •which ' encases the 

 stone, which, in its 

 turnj is the hard, pro- 

 tecting case of the 

 kernel or true seed. 

 In the first condition 

 of the flower this 



Vim 



Section of Buttercup. 



kernel, or true seed, was the tiny thing of which I 

 spoke, situated at the lower end of the pistil. 



We must now, however, proceed a step further, 

 and take notice of this, that before any such result 

 can conic from the pollen being placed upon the 

 pistil, it is necessary that both the pollen and. the 



