100 THE FLO II 1ST A7sD 



nal I remarked that plants out of doors were not apt to cross and were most- 

 ly subject to self-fecundation. The pollen of flowers it is true is often trans- 

 ported by the winds and by insects for miles, but the economy of these pro T 

 visions is not for the production of crosses or new varieties, but chiefly for 

 the intercourse of male and female flowers when borne upon separate plants. 

 or .upon separate parts of the same plant (as for instance in the common 

 Indian corn) or for self- fecundation in perfect, or as they are now called her T 

 maphrodite flowers. Self-fecundation seems to be the first law with flowers, 

 and the economy of winds and insects for crossing has been generally mis^ 

 apprehended. The agitation of a perfect flower by the wind or other cause 

 throws its pollen immediately upon the stigma, and self-fecundation takes 

 place at once and excludes super.-foetation. When a bee enters a flpwer, if 

 the pollen is perfect, the insect by its movements brings about self-fecunda- 

 tion, if it h^s not already taken place. It is curious to watch the movements 

 of the humble bee in entering the varieties of antirrhinum or snap-dragon. 

 It pushes open the lips of the nectary which close behind him, and after riot- 

 ing a while, out of sight, upon honey and pollen, he emerges from his co? 

 vert retreat, having accomplished the two fold purpose of supplying his own 

 wants and fertilizing the flower. The snap-dragon crosses and multiplies 

 without limit, and it is all done bj the bee, and happens in this way. The 

 bee enters a flower with perfect pollen ? collects it upon his thighs, he then en- 

 ters a flower in which the pollen is not ripe, and so covers the anthers and 

 stigma that the cross is effected before self-fecundation. 



It is worthy of mention here that self-fecundation does not take place so 

 readily jn-doors as out ; and this reminds me of a remark I have often heard, 

 that plants will not seed well in the greenhouse. This is true as a matter of 

 fact, but plants will fruit and seed as well in the greenhouse as anywhere else 

 if properly fertilized. There are several reasons why they will not, if left tp 

 themselves. Jn the first place they are not subject to the requisite agitation 

 to disturb tfye pollen at the right time ; secondly, the pollen is apt to be damp 

 and heavy, and finally the flowers take unnatural positions, preventing the 

 pollen from falling upon the stigma. In pendulous flowers naturally the 

 anthers are above tfye stigina ; that is, the stamens are shorter than the styles, 

 and in erect flowers the reverse is the case. The final cause of this obvious- 

 ly is that the pollen upon any agitation may fall upon the stigma. But in the 

 greenhouse, many flowers naturally inclining downwards, will turn upwards 

 to the light? in which case sometimes the anthers are. so far below the stigma; 

 as to fail of reaching it except by special help. I have seen this beautifully 

 exemplified in the common China primrose. Finding some plants were 

 not seeding, I resorted to the camel's hair brush tp apply the pollen to the 



