36 GERMINATION 



Let us now consider the walnut, and its pod. 



It has often been said that the tendency of modern 

 scientific thought is towards materialism. To my mind 

 that is incomprehensible. The student of the electro- 

 physiology of animate nature finds a sermon in every seed 

 and a revelation of the wonderful work of the Creator in 

 everything that lives. 



More particularly and clearly is this brought home to one 

 when those inhabitants of the vegetable kingdom which are 

 designed for food come under notice. The horse chestnut 

 is a seed, pure and simple ; the edible chestnut something 

 more. Both are electrical throughout, but their structure 

 and equipment differ. The walnut resembles neither of 

 them, in its entirety, but has features in common with the 

 edible chestnut, the hazel nut, the acorn and, I have no 

 doubt, many other and similar products of Nature. 



Before describing the electrical construction of the walnut, 

 however, I should like to call attention to a matter which 

 hitherto I have not thought to be within my purview, but 

 which may, upon further investigation, be found to be in 

 electrical association. I am referring to colour, to which 

 subject a fellow student. Dr. A. White Robertson, has given 

 prominence in his Studies in Electro-Pathology. 



Chlorophyll is known to be developed in the presence of 

 light, and we are aware, or have been told, that most of the 

 chemical changes which take place in the plant occur through 

 chlorophyll. Furthermore we know, from experience, that 

 deprivation of light involves loss or absence of chlorophyll in 

 the leaves of many plants with which we are famiHar, such, 

 for instance, as the Aspidistria. 



Now the outer perimeter of the pod of the walnut is rich 

 in chlorophyll. Inside the outer skin is a positively charged 

 moist layer, some 3/16ths-inch thick, also containing 

 green colouring matter of the exact tint of chlorophyll. 

 Between that and the shell is a white membrane — a mem- 

 brane free from colour. Nor does the mature shell contain 

 green pigment. 



But at an early stage of development the embryo shell 

 presents itself as a moist layer, about 3/32nds-inch thick, 



