66 THE FLORIST AND 



interesting analogies have been traced in respect to the reproductive functions. 

 But there is something beyond the reproductive functions to be considered 

 in regard to fruits, in order to be clearly understood as to the meaning of 

 the term fruit. I mean broadly theperiearp, and by the pericarp, in reference 

 to esculent fruits, I mean the pnrt which is eaten with or without seeds. It 

 is the part which envelopes, sustains, or is surrounded by the seeds ; it is the 

 edible pulp ; in fine it is sarcocarp of the pericarp, and if botanical distinctions 

 fail, we will leave it to the sense of ta-ste to decide what fruit is. The law T s 

 of reproduction in the animal and vegitable kingdoms present some interest- 

 ing analogies which I do not purpose now to trace out to the full extent. 



Oviparous animals will deposit their eggs without fecundation, but eggs not 

 fecundated will not hatch. There is no exception to this law for animals ; in 

 the lower orders, such as polypus and taenia, a piece of the animal will pro* 

 dace a new animal, as a cutting of a plant will produce a new plant. The 

 seeds of plants correspond to the eggs of animals and are governed by the 

 same general law of reproduction, viz, that fecundation is essential to repro- 

 duction. This law is relaxed, how r ever, for some plants, such as the common 

 fig, and others which bear fruit and ripen productive seed without fecundation^ 

 (at least by any recognized male organ) although for the most part fecunda- 

 tion is essential to productive seeds. It plays also another important part 

 which my experiments serve to elucidate. For the sake of illustration I will 

 select a particular flower upon which my observations have been most exten- 

 sive ; that flower is the Petunia, which offers great facilities for observations 

 upon the sexual character and functions. It is well understood that in artifi- 

 cial cross-fertilization, in order to prevent self-fecundation we emasculate the 

 flower from which we wish to obtain the seeds for new varieties ; that is, we 

 remove the anthers from that flower and at the proper time apply to the stigma 

 the pollen from some other distinct flower. Now T it happens that with many 

 flowers the self-fecundation takes place before the flower opens, in conse- 

 quence of the early formation of pollen. Such flowers planted together in 

 beds will never naturally cross-fertilize, or produce new varieties and hence it 

 is that nature seldom produces new varieties.* I have observed that with a 



* There are several other reasons however why natural crosses are rare. 

 By natural I mean plants in their native condition unassisted by culture. 

 The provisions for self fecundation are so ample and perfect that there is but 

 little opportunity left for natural or rather accidental crossing, even where 

 interchangeable varieties or species exist together. The anthers in most 

 flowers have position according to the position of the flow r er. In pendulous 

 flowers the stamens are shorter than the pistil, so as to drop their pollen upon 

 the stigma upon the slightest agitation; and in erect flowers the stamens are 

 usually longer than the pistil for the same reason. 



