I suppose that is to give the birds and insects more work than ever. Please tell me a tree that has this curious plan.
The Palm is an instance. Where the trees grow in a cluster, as they usually do, there is no difficulty. If very far apart, the male blossoms, when ripe, are cut off, carried to the other tree, and the pollen shaken over the pistil flowers.
That is singular. But how do water plants get on with the yellow dust?
Some of them rise to the surface to flower, and sink to seed. Those that keep below are provided with a glutinous pollen, which cannot be affected with the wet.
Well, father, I do think we are getting on bravely with our lesson. But I would so like to peep into the germen or ovary, and see what goes on there.
We will do so. I ought to have said, that before the pollen sheds, the ovary has a lot of half formed seeds adhering to the Placenta inside. These Ovules, as they are called, are a sort of nucleus or kernel, and are each placed between two sacs of open mouths.
What goes into those mouths?
Nothing goes in, but the pollen of the stamens comes down through them out upon the ovule, and is received to its Embryo, or heart, through a very small hole. Soon after the pollen has entered, the ovule becomes perfected and vivified, or made full of life.
And is that the seed?