CHAPTER VI. 



Nuts. Walnut ; Chesnut ; Hazel-Nut. 



a. Walnut. 6. Chesnut. c. Hazel-nut. 



NUTS, properly so called, are hard dry fruits, contain- 

 ing one or two seeds, and not in any degree fleshy or 

 pulpy. They are often surrounded by a leafy or 

 woody husk, which is called the involucre, enlarged 

 as a covering to the fruit. The kernels of all the 

 esculent nuts are considered as being very nutritious, 

 on account of the quantity of oil that they contain ; 

 but on that account they are less digestible than any 

 other vegetable matters. As some of the principal 

 kinds have been already described with considerable 

 minuteness as trees, a very brief account of such will 

 be given. 



THE WALNUT Juglans regia. 



The nuts of this tree have, when perfectly ripe, a 

 very agreeable flavour; and the tree being besides 

 VOL. ii. 10 



