V 
ANIMALS HELP PLANTS 
I SN’T IT ODD that the orchard fruits at the two vital 
stages of their lives have to find a way to get help from 
members of the animal kingdom or perish! 
The first of these times at which the fruits must call 
in outside aid is blossoming time. The purpose of the 
flower is to make seed in order that this race of plants may 
go on. If any group of plants failed for a generation in 
seed-making, it would disappear from the earth. So this 
seed-making is very important. 
Most flowers, however, cannot set seed unless they 
get pollen from other flowers to fertilize them. It is for 
this purpose that the flowers call in members of the 
animal world. They ask the insects, the bees principally, 
to carry pollen from one blossom to another. 
Flowers make themselves beautiful to attract the at¬ 
tention of the bees. They give off sweet odors for the 
same purpose. Then each puts a drop of nectar in its 
cup as a bribe to the bee to make it a visit. The bee 
comes, bringing on its fuzzy head pollen it has got in a 
visit to another flower. Some of this pollen drops off 
and fertilizes the flower, and the flower sets seed, thus 
taking the first of two important steps toward growing 
new plants to take its place when it is gone. 
The next important step is getting that seed planted 
when it is ripe. Some plants — for example, the thistle 
— find a way to make their seeds ride the winds to a new 
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