“Do you know what those hardly visible seeds are?”
“Not yet.”
“They are the future seeds of the plant. The ovary, then, is the part of the plant where the seeds form. At a certain time the flower withers; the petals wilt and fall; the calyx does the same, or remains to play the part of protector a while longer; the dried stamens break off; only the ovary remains, growing larger, ripening, and finally becoming the fruit.
“Every fruit—the pear, apple, apricot, peach, walnut, cherry, melon, strawberry, almond, chestnut—began by being a little swelling of the pistil; all these excellent things that the plant furnishes us for food were first ovaries.”
“A pear began by being the ovary of a pear blossom?”
“Yes, my child; pears, apples, cherries, apricots, begin by being the ovaries of their respective flowers. I will show you an apricot in its blossom.”
Uncle Paul took an apricot blossom, opened it with his penknife, and showed the children what is here shown in the picture.
“In the heart of the flower you see the pistil surrounded by numerous stamens. The head that terminates it at the top is the stigma; the swelling at the bottom is the ovary or future apricot.”
“That little green thing would have been an apricot, full of sweet juice, that I like so much?” inquired Emile.
“That little green thing would have become an apricot like those Emile is so fond of. Now would you like to see the ovary that gives us bread?”