62 



BOYS AND GIRLS IN BIOLOGY. 



larger and pushes itself out in the form of a long tube 

 (Fig. 57). This tube works its way down through the 

 tube of the pistil into the egg-bag, where it enters the 



Fig. 57. 



PoLLEN-Tube entering 

 Little Gate. 



The Pollen from the Flour-Box, or Anther, finding its Way to the Egg, 

 or Ovule, in the Egg-Pouch of the Pistil. 



little gate of one of the eggs, and unites with the ker- 

 nel, or nucleus, that we found in the centre of each egg. 

 After the POLLEN-dust from the dust-boxes of the sta- 

 mens has thus united with the kernel of the egg, inside 

 the egg-pouch of the pistil, the two together begin to 

 grow, and form the little germ that we found lying in 

 the cup of the bean. And this is the way each young 

 bean-plant is formed ; some of the flour enters the little 

 gate and unites with the kernel of the egg, and the two 

 grow together into one little plant, or germ. The 

 ovary, or egg-bag, still keeps on growing, and forms 

 what is called the legume, or pod, of the bean. The 

 eggs, too, grow larger, and as soon as the pod is ripe it 

 splits open, and inside of it you will find beans just like 

 those you planted. 



