Now, the pistil needs pollen off the anthers of some other flower in order to bring seed-babies to life. Oh, yes, Mary Frances, I’m coming to the part about the bees. The pistil needs pollen, as I said; sometimes a pistil needs the kind of pollen which is on the anthers of the same plant, sometimes a pistil needs pollen from the anthers of some other plant, but it must have pollen to give seed babies life.
How Can the Flowers Get Pollen
Now, flowers cannot walk, nor can the pistils or stamens of flowers walk. How can they get the pollen powder to their pistils? How can the pollen powder get to their pistils?
The Flowers Spread a Feast for Insects
In some cases the breeze blows some pollen upon the pistils of a few flowers, but it is a very uncertain way, to depend on a breeze; so the wonderful flowers spread a feast of just the most delightful food for bees, and sometimes for butterflies, and sometimes for moths; and not only do they get the most enticing food ready for such insects, but they put out the most beautiful signs telling them the feast is ready.
They make the sign just as attractive as they possibly can for the particular kind of insect they wish to come to them to eat.
They use the loveliest colors and the most delightful odors, which please the bees, the butterflies, the moths, more than they please even you and me, by their wonderful beauty and fragrance.
Nectar
The food they give the bee is—no, Mary Frances, it is not honey, it is nectar, out of which the bees make honey.