THE MORNING-GLORY 151 



not leaving before their work is done? What is 

 their work ? They bear the pollen that makes the 

 seeds grow. Where are the seeds? Do the sta- 

 mens shed their pollen before falling? Notice the 

 open flower and see if they do. How does the pollen 

 reach the seeds ? (It falls on the stigma and passes 

 down the style to the seeds ; or the bees leave pollen 

 which they have gathered from some other morning- 

 glory on the stigma, when they go into the flower for 

 the nectar which is at its base ; or the wind blowing 

 carries the pollen from one flower to another.) Did 

 the sepals fall with the corolla ? (No, they stay to 

 protect the seed pod.) 



The children watch the growth of the seed pod on 

 several flowers which they may select. They see 

 that finally the style dries up, only a small portion of 

 it remaining. Is its work done ? What did it have 

 to do? Notice how long a time elapses after the 

 blossom opens before the seeds are ripened. What 

 happens when they are ripe? (Three doors open into 

 three little rooms, in each of which dwells snugly 

 two three-sided seeds. These seeds drop out when 

 the plant is disturbed.) 



Now we have found out how the seeds happen to 

 have such queer shapes, — six of them were packed 



