The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-04-29

plant, and Of cereals generally, it is re-
r..lrllablc IL at 50 little slull.I be know, n
Of their method of reproduction, and one
looks in vain in most botanical works
for any detailed Information or real help
in that direction. All authorities egree
in regard to the cereals and grasses that
the receptive organs of the PLAINTIFF
stigma-consists of two feathery or
head of the ovary. This superstition has
been shown to be a delusion, and in
vestigation shows the following:
l. More detailed knowledge than has
hitherto been available of the re-
productive organs and reproductive
processes in the cat plant. 2. That
the anthers are ripe and pro-
truded before the ovary is in ap-
shed at least a part of their pollen out
side of the flowers. 3. That he two
feathery structures in the grain family,
known as stigmas, perform no stigmatic
pose of forcing the anthers outside the
flower before it opens. 4. That the real
stigma is the blunt head of the Ovary. ).
That the impregnation condition is de-
termined, not by the iipenesS of the male
organ, but by the Tipeness or receptive
ness of the female organ g. That when
the female organ is in st receptive con-
dltlon the flower opens to receive foreign
pollen. Z. That each grain of rullen con-
talns numerous rapidly moving cells,
probably ciliated g. That the whole az
rangeLlents and operations of the flower
of the oat are admirably a(iapted for
being ripe and shed liz part. at LEASH
before the female Cr2ar is in receptive
condition.. it seems to follow that cross
fertilization is rather the rule than tie
exception, for imprcscation cannot take
place Unt1i that OrSll is IN o lit and re-
ceptiye condition
DISTRIBUTION OF POLLEN.
All flowers in which cross-fertilization
IS the rule are either fortified by the aid
OF insects or the agency of re winds
10 the insects belong all those flowers
which have some characteristic attrac-
ton, either in the form of very beauti-
ful colorS, or an enchanting fragrance
for even the disagreeable odor of the
stapeha and the ugly bloom OF tie as
pld1Stra serve their purposes by attract
ing lies or slugs, or some similar crea-
ture fert1llz1ng the same. The Wind-fer-
tlllzed flowers are destitute of beauty.
anu OFTEN are void of any individual at
traction, which is one of the proofs that
insects are capable of selection. 1t may
be noticed also that wind-fertilized plants
consist, in the majority of cases of
merely the essential organs of repro
ductlon, W., the stamens and pistil and
are entirely destitute of any petals or
sepais, or else possess very inconspicu-
Gus specimens of the latter. In the wind
deltlllzed plants Nature exhibits, in the
case OF the ordinary fflbert nut, very
cleVer contrlvance whereWith croSs-fer-
tlllzation Is made more effective, as the
flowers are produced and fully matured
before the leaves appear, as the leaves
would obStruct the pollen
All the grasses are fortified by the
agency of the wind and the anthers of
such flowers are versatile-that is. they
are fixed to the filaments by pivots.
Whlch enable them to be blown about ,
the least wind, in which way thew are
petter able to shed their pollen and per
petuate their species. Bees are attracted
to flowers in order to secure honey IN
some flowers, such as the SALIVA. the
Money Is inaccessible to the bee until il
first removes the obstacles in its path
on entering the flower. The connections
are fastened to the fIaments by tvo del
1cately. constructed pivots, which wor K
50 easily that the least push will bring
the anthers down, and when. released
they fly back again into their original
| position. The bee alights oa-ife lower
lip, and in pushing it's proboscis into the
money gland, brings the enthers down on
Its back and becomes coated with nollen.
The stigma of the flower. when ready
for fertilization, grows down. 50 that
When bee coated with pollen enters
such flower it cannot fail to brush the
stigma with the pollen obtained from
the previous flower, and, as every in
sect-fertilized flower has a structure
which is particularly adapted to the
size and built of certain insect fnstl.u-
! mental in fertilizing the same they are
capable of cross-fertilization.