G E N 
Hied the dull j but as foon as the flower begins to , 
open, they depart from the ftylus,, and force the pe- 
tala outwards, by a certain eiafticity, and expand 
themfelves; this being done, they immediately change : 
their poftufe from a perpendicular to an oblique or 
horizontal one •, nor do they ever pour out their duft 
or farina, till they can conveniently drop it upon the 
bottom of the flower, and towards the root of the 
piftilium. 
But taking it for granted that it whs fo, the top of the 
ftylus (which the Dodlor calls the button, in oppofition 
to the apices ftaminum,) he fays, is fo compadt, and 
of fo firm a fubftance, that it is next to impoffible, 
that the farina in fubftance; or in integral parts, can 
pafs through it. 
If the integral parts, the complete grain, the minute 
giobuli, in which the whole feminal plant is contained, 
cannot then enter, the whole compound muft be dif- 
folved, and the minute feminal particles in this fmall 
grain of duft muft be difunited ; and if fo, how fhall 
thefe again come to cement, fo as to make up one 
continued body? or how fhall this little body, fo united, 
penetrate a fecond time the partition-wall betwixt the 
ftylus and piftilium ? and again, how fhall it find out 
its way to its neft, in the proper embryo of the feed ? 
TheDodor takes notice of the White Lily, the Orange 
Lily, the Martagon Lily, &c. as objedtions to the 
opinions of Mr. Morland, Bradley, &c. and alio 
mentions the Iris, as a moft pregnant inftance, that 
the farina cannot fo much as come at the piftilium ; 
for having fix petals, the three ftamina with long 
apices lie hid between the three petala which hang 
downwards, and three large expanfions of the bifid 
ftylus, and the upper part of the down-hanging pe- 
talon : the farina can never reach the center of the 
ftylus, though it were hollow, which it is not, but 
muft defeend along its outftde, to the top and outfide 
of the rudiment of the fruit, there to emit its effluvia. 
Thefe and other inftances he concludes, are fuffleient 
proof, that the farina cannot enter the ftylus, penetrate 
into the piftilium, or inner part of the feminal veffel, 
nor have the leaft accefs to the embryo of the feed. 
As to the objedion, that there is not paffage fuffleient 
to admit the male feed into the uterus, or even into 
the ovaries, it is thus anfwered : 
If it be confidered how every flower, when it is pre- 
pared for the ad of receiving the male feed, is fo 
much under the influence of the fun, that the petals 
open at its approach, and ftiut up again at its depar- 
ture, it very well explains how the piftilium, or fe- 
male parts of generation, are relaxed at one time more 
than another, i. e. that the female parts are more re- 
laxed at the opening of the flower, than when the 
flower is fhut up ; for the flower-leaves adhering to 
the bottom of the piftilium, muft confequently, when 
they bend back, put every part of the piftilium into 
a different pofture to that in which it was when the 
petals were fhut. 
And it is certain, that it is the prefence of the fun 
that ripens the male duft in the apices, and opens the 
little cafes in which it is contained, giving them a 
fpringinefs that flings forth that duft as foon as it is 
ripe, fo as to fcatter it to a confiderable diftance. The 
female parts are at this time dilated by the opening 
of the flower-leaves, and the apices and chives, con- 
curring at the fame time in flinging forth their male 
duft, anfwer the fame end in the generation of plants, 
that the ad of copulation does among animals. 
Having thus given feveral reafonings and arguments 
iifed by various authors, who have made it their ftudy 
to inveftigate the mode of generation of vegetables, 
whether the impregnation of them proceeds from the 
farina foecundans, or male duft, entering the uterus of 
plants in fubftances, or by effluvia, I fhall not take 
upon me to determine the difpute ; efpecially fince 
Mr. Boyle has proved, that all effluvia are fubtile par- 
ticles of matter ; fo that it matters not how fmall or 
minute thefe particles are, fince a body in its firft ftate 
may be fo minute as to be fcarcely perceptible. 
I fnall therefore conclude with mentioning a few ex- 
G E N 
periments of my own, which I communicated to Dr. 
Patrick Blair, which he improved as a proof of his 
opiilion of effluvia y and Mr. Bradley aifo, as a proof 
of the farina entering the uterus in fubftance, and 
leave the curious enquirer to determine on that fide 
of the -queftion, to which reafoning and experiment 
fhall influence him. 
I feparated the male plants of a bed of Spinach from 
the female ; and the confequence was, that the feed 
did fwell to the ufual bignefs, but when fown it did 
not grow afterwards ; and foarching into the feed, I 
found it wanted the pundtum vine, or what Geoffrey 
calls the germen. 
I fet twelve Tulips by themfeives, about fix or Feven 
yards from any other, and as foon as they blew, I 
took out the ftamina with their fummits fo very care- 
fully, that I fcattered none of the male duft ; and 
about two days afterwards I faw bees working on a 
bed of Tulips, where I did not take out the ftamina ; 
and when they came out, they were loaded with the 
farina or male duft on their bodies and legs ; and I 
faw them fly into the Tulips' where I had taken out 
the ftamina, and when they came out, I found they 
had left behind them fuffleient to impregnate thefo 
flowers, for they bore good ripe feeds which afterward 
grew. 
In a parcel of Savoys, which were planted for feed 
near white and red Cabbages, the feeds, when fown, 
produced half red, and fome white Cabbages, and 
lbrne Savoys with red ribs, and fome neither°one fort 
nor the other, but a mixture of all forts together iri 
one plant, which I fuppofe might happen by the ef- 
fluvia of the different forts impregnating the uterus, of 
each other. 
In a letter communicated by Paul Dudley, jSfq-, to 
the Royal Society, written from New England, he 
mentions the interchanging of the colours of the In- 
dian Wheat, if the various colours are planted in rows 
near each other ; but if they are planted feparately, 
they conftantly keep to their own colour ; and this 
interchanging of colours has been obferved, when the 
diftance between the rows of Com has been feveral 
yards, though he fays, if there happens to be a high 
board fence between the different coloured Corns, the 
alteration of colours is entirely prevented. 
It is from different flowers impregnating each other, 
that the feveral varieties have been produced g and 
this gives new light to the florifts, for raifing a much, 
greater variety of flowers ; for by planting the dif- 
ferent coloured flowers near each other, fo that the 
flowers when fully blown may be intermixed, their 
farina will impregnate each other, fo that the feeds 
will produce variegated flowers partaking of both co- 
lours. But it muft be obferved, that flowers of dif- 
ferent genera will not impregnate each other, therefore 
the plants muft be of the fame genus which are placed 
together. 
Cucumbers and Melons always produce male and fe- 
male flowers upon different parts of the fame plant j 
the male flower (which appears upon a (lender foot- 
ftalk, and has a large ftyle in the middle, covered 
with an Orange-coloured farina) is by the gardeners 
commonly called falfe blolfoms, and are fometimes by 
unfkilful perfons pulled off foon after they appear, 
fuppofing that they weaken the plants, if fuffered to 
remain, which is a very great miftake ; for, in order 
to try this experiment, I planted four holes of Melons 
in a place pretty far diftant from any other; and when 
the flowers began to appear, I conftantly pulled off 
all the male flowers from time to time before they 
opened ; the confequence was, that all the young fruit 
dropt off foon after they appeared, and not one Angle 
fruit remained to grow to any fize, though the vines 
were equally ftrong with thofe which I had planted in 
another place, where I fuffered ail the flowers to re- 
main upon them, from which I had a great quantity 
of fruit. But this dodtrine is now fo well eftablifhed 
among the gardeners, being confirmed by experience, 
that they now carry the. male flowers of the Cucum- 
bers and Melons to the female, if there are none 
fituated. 
