24 



THE FLOWER GROWER'S GUIDE. 



and various other flowers, this constantly takes place, and seeds producing double 

 varieties are obtained. 



Some double flowers, as the fuchsia, have the cah'x normal. The petals are 

 divided into segments, or multiplied in size and area, even if not in number ; but the 

 stamens and the pistil are normal or perfect, hence the so-called double-flowered fuchsias 

 often bear seeds as freely as the so-called single varieties. 



Apart from flowers that are more or less abortive and double, there are many 

 flowers, especially among the composites, such as daisies, chrysanthemums, sunflowers, 

 gaillardias, etc., which are not really, but only apparently double. Even the densely 

 packed clusters of normal flowers of clover, sea hollies, and teasels, are now and then 

 miscalled " double " by unobservant people. 



We cannot do better than take a flower of the Chinese or Japanese chrysanthemum 

 to illustrate our meaning. Now a chrysanthemum, in fact all daisy-like flowers, or 

 composites, as the name implies, arc not single flowers, but each flower head [capitulum] 

 of a daisy or aster, marigold or sunflower, is really a collection of flowers tightly packed 

 inside a common calyx {involucre) on what may be called the paint-brush plan. 



Our illustration (Fig. 15) shows a section of a "single " (so-called) chrysanthemum, 

 and a glance M ill show that the so-called flower is made up of many separate flowers, 

 flowerets, or florets, of two kinds, the outer row or ray of florets being strap-shaped, 

 or ligulate ((<), and the central or disk-florets tubular {h). The whole are held 

 together by a short tube-like involucre at c. There are three main types of these 

 compound or composite flowers, viz. : the type illustrated by the figure having florets of 

 two kinds, ray and disk florets in the same head ; the common hawk-weeds and the 

 dandelion have heads composed of many strap-shaped florets only ; and if you look at 

 our common garden weed, the " groundsel," you will find it has all tubular florets and 

 no ray florets at all. 



Feuits. 



The flower, after pollination, is naturally followed by the fruits or seed vessels, 

 under normal or fiivourable conditions. But under abnormal or artificial conditions, as 

 in fruit houses and conservatories, the cultivator has often, in the absence of wind and 

 insects, to facilitate the distribution of pollen at the proper time, i.e. when the stigmas 

 are receptive, so as to insure a crop of fruit or of seeds. Wherever hive bees are kept 

 or their visits not prevented, they do much service in the "setting " or fertilisation of 

 flowers, but failing these, a soft brush, such as a rabbit's tail tied on a stick and deftly 



