THE SEED 131 



ensconced in five little cavities grouped in the shape 

 of a five-pointed star, as may be seen in a cross-sec- 

 tion of the fruit. These little cavities have walls 

 of a tough, scaly material somewhat resembling 

 horn, while all about them is a thick rampart of 

 flesh. Beans and peas are arranged in a sort of 

 long sheath that opens in two pieces. Chestnuts are 

 packed in a bag covered with long prickles. All 

 these protecting coverings, whatever their shape and 

 character and degree of toughness, form part of the 

 fruit. 



"Let us go back to the almond. The shell being 

 broken, we come to the seed, which is all in one piece. 

 This seed, as we have just seen, is protected by two 

 coverings, the inner one of which is a very firm, hard 

 casing called the stone. As a protection is it 

 enough? Not quite. Beneath the exterior defen- 

 sive armor comes the fine inner covering that wraps 

 the seed closely and shields it from contact with the 

 hard shell. This covering is double and is com- 

 posed on the outside of a reddish skin and inside of 

 an extremely thin and flexible white cuticle. Sim- 

 ilar double clothing is found on all seeds. The inner 

 one is always very fine, as indeed it should be, since 

 it comes next to the most essential and delicate part 

 of the seed. Do we put coarse cloth, rough woolen 

 stuff next to the tender flesh of a new-born babe? 

 Certainly not ; but rather the finest of linen, and over 

 that the woolen fabric. The plant does the same 

 with its tender young seeds. The outer envelope, 

 much firmer and tougher than the inner, looks very 



