28 Injuries from Clearings. — The Blossom and its Parts. 



ing of the central, high, arid lands of certain districts, says that in 

 the worst of these there are found traces of ancient cultivation, 

 river beds now dry, and remains of villages. In the parts outside 

 of the arid region, the streams,' once perennial and used for irriga- 

 tion, are now without water, excepting when swollen to torrents in the 

 rains. He adds: "This phenomenon, so commonly observed in all 

 the Punjaub streams coming from the now denuded lower hills, 

 points inevitably to the conclusion that forest denudation has de- 

 prived these rivers of their steady water-supply, and hence ruined 

 the rainless countries that were dependent upon them." 



115. We quote these facts in this connection, not because they 

 are rare or unusual, for they are not. We present them as closely 

 describing the condition of the now irrigated and fertile regions of 

 Colorado, California, and the Territories, whose fertility is wholly 

 dependent upon the streams that may be withdrawn from their 

 ■natural beds and distributed over the surface in the growing season. 

 As an inevitable consequence of denudation, these streams will 

 swell to torrents in the winter rains and from the rapid melting of 

 snows in spring, and become dry in summer, when most needed for 

 irrigation. The mining interest, depending upon a uniform water 

 supply, will share in this misfortune, which will also be felt in the 

 loss of water-power, and in the failure of water for the supply of 

 towns and cities. 



CHAPTER IV. 



IlEPEODUCTION FEOM SEED. 



The essential parts of the Blossom. 



116. Flowers include the parts essential to germination, analogous 

 in effect to sex. They consist of at least two distinct portions — 

 stamens and pistils. The first of these bears an anther, containing at 

 full maturity a yellow dust called pollen. The stamens, when few, 

 are generally of some determinate number, and in perfect flowers 

 are arranged around one or more pistils in the center. These have 

 at their base the germ of the future seeds, enveloped in some cover- 

 ing, which is collectively termed the fruit. The anthers are gen- 

 erally supported or suspended by stalks or fibers called JUaments. 

 The pistil usually consists of the stipe, or supporting stem, and the 

 stigma or terminal part that receives the pollen. The fertilization 



