THE SCENTED CALLA 



of decayed meat a much more attractive aroma 

 than the odor of orange blossoms. 



And, to make direct application to the case in 

 hand, unquestionably the flies and other insects 

 that are useful to the calla in poUenizing its 

 flowers would be quite unattracted by the sweet 

 and pervasive odor that is given out by the new 

 race of scented callas which I am about to 

 describe. 



How THE Calla Is Fertilized 



It was on smelling the perfume of my scented 

 calla that the visitor made the remark I have 

 quoted. And she followed it with this question: 



"If the odor of plants is of use to them in 

 attracting bees, why do not all the callas have a 

 perfume like this new one you have developed?" 



And here again a moment's reflection would 

 perhaps have supplied the answer. The calla 

 does not need to attract the bee, therefore the 

 production of the chemical substances that give 

 out a sweet perfume would have been a waste of 

 energy for this flower. Perhaps there may have 

 been a time in the past when the calla, like so 

 many other flowers, depended on bees for cross- 

 fertilization, and lured them with its scent; but 

 nowadays the process of cross-fertilization in this 

 plant is effected in a quite different fashion. 



If you closely examine the calla you will 



[75] 



