i 9 4 
CHILDREN'S GARDENS 
VI 
subject of botany, however, there are a few 
words to be said about insects, as their visits 
to plants are so interesting to watch. It has 
been already explained that to produce the 
seed of a plant the pollen dust on the stamens 
must fall upon the style or stigma at the end 
of the pistil. This sounds very simple, but is 
not always so easily done, as frequently the 
GERANIUM PRATENSE 
a, young flower; b, closed stigmas in young flower ; c, older flower stamens have 
retired and the stigmas are expanded. 
pistil has withered before the anthers or pollen- 
bags have burst and let the dust fall out, or 
else they burst too soon, and the pistil is not 
ready for them. But nature has provided a 
way of ensuring the seeds developing, and em¬ 
ploys insects for this purpose. The insect flies 
to a flower, gets its tiny legs and wings covered 
with pollen dust, then flies on, and resting in 
another flower, drops the pollen on the pistil 
