THE ASSOCIATION OF CHARACTERS 259 



of the most prominent features in the value of agricultural 

 products is found in the size of the seeds, or as it is often 

 stated, in the number of seeds wanted to fill a liter. Larger 

 seeds are as a rule preferred, and many regions which are 

 renowned all over the world for the superiority of their 

 seed grains, owe this repute in a high degree to their care 

 in sifting the seeds and separating the biggest ones as well 

 for the continuance of their race as for sale. It is interest- 

 ing to look into the reasons for this preferment. In the first 

 place comes the relation between the useless and the useful 

 parts of each single kernel. In a seed the inner or nutritious 

 tissues are surrounded and protected by the outer layers 

 or integuments. The inner parts may consist of the germ 

 alone, or of the germ and the albumen, the germ containing 

 chiefly the albuminous and oily substances, and the albu- 

 men being ordinarily the tissue in which the starch is the 

 most -prominent nutritive element. The integuments or 

 outer layers are not only devoid of nutritious contents, but 

 are also ordinarily of a considerable firmness. They are 

 built up of different tissues. In the seeds of the clover the 

 external layer is cuticularized. These coverings have their 

 significance for the protection of the germ against all kinds 

 of dangers, but considered in the harvest they evidently 

 diminish the quantity of nutrient parts per unit of weight. 

 Hence the conclusion that the nourishing value of a given 

 quantity of corn, of grain, of peas, or of any other eatable 

 kind of seed, depends in a high degree on the development of 

 those integuments. The thicker they are, the less is the 

 part of the useful tissues, while seeds with, thinner shells 

 contain more nutritive parts, and moreover are more easily 

 digestible. , 



Therefore the breeder always has to select the plants 

 with thinly covered seeds, and the correlation which exists 

 between this quality and the size of the seeds is his easiest 



