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136
My Studio Neighbors
·
W. Hamilton Gibson
59
In
1682
Nehemias
Grew
announced
to
the
scientific
world
that
it
was
necessary
for
the
pollen
of
a
flower
to
reach
the
stigma
or
summit
of
the
pistil
in
order
to
insure
the
fruit.
I
have
indicated
his
claim
pictorially
at
A
(Fig.
3),
in
the
series
of
historical
progression.
So
radical
was
this
"theory"
considered
that
it
precipitated
a
lively
discussion
among
the
wiseheads,
which
was
prolonged
for
fifty
years,
and
only
finally
settled
by
Linnaeus,
who
reaffirmed
the
facts
declared
by
Grew,
and
verified
them
by
such
absolute
proof
that
no
further
doubts
could
be
entertained.
The
inference
of
these
early
authorities
regarding
this
process
of
pollination
is
perfectly
clear
from
their
statements.
The
stamens
in
most
flowers
were
seen
to
surround
the
pistil,
"and
of
course
the
presumption
was
that
they
naturally
shed
the
pollen
upon
the
stigma,"
as
illustrated
at
B
in
my
series.
The
construction
of
most
flowers
certainly
seemed
designed
to
fulfil
this
end.
But
there
were
other
considerations
which
had
been
ignored,
and
the
existence
of
color,
fragrance,
honey,
and
insect
association
still
continued
to
challenge
the
wisdom
of
the
more
philosophic
seekers.
How
remarkable
were
some
of
those
early
speculations
in
regard
to
"honey,"
or,
more
properly,
nectar!
Patrick
Blair,
for
instance,
claimed
that
"honey
absorbed
the
pollen,"
and
thus
fertilized
the
ovary.
Pontidera
thought
that
its
office
was
to
keep
the
ovary
in
a
moist
condition.
Another
botanist
argued
that
it
was
"useless
material
thrown
off
in
process
of
growth."
Krunitz
noted
that
"bee-visited
meadows
were
most
healthy,"
and
his
inference
was
that
"honey
was
injurious
to
the
flowers,
and
that
bees
were
useful
in
carrying
it
off"!
The
great
Linnaeus
confessed
himself
puzzled
as
to
its
function.
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