MAY 83 



teeth, an animal could work his way through 

 the shell, the kernel itself is filled with a 

 substance bitter in small quantities and in 

 larger amounts even poisonous. So, doubly 

 defended, the seed has held its own. 



Meanwhile the wandering tribes of the 

 desert had quite other needs. To them a 

 successful food must be both portable and 

 imperishable. So, neglecting and even per- 

 haps discriminating against the pulp, they 

 selected and cultivated such fruits as were 

 provided with particularly thin shell and 

 sweet kernel. Gradually they improved 

 the native fruit until now in the finer varie- 

 ties the shell can no longer serve as a de- 

 fence even from man's unaided fingers. 

 The kernel too has lost every trace of its 

 bitter taste, and we have the modern paper- 

 shelled almond. Even yet the coarser va- 

 rieties have heavier shells, and the ancestral 

 flavor is well known as that of bitter al- 

 monds. If one will look over any large 

 quantity of almonds as they come to the 

 dealer, he can scarcely fail to find at least 

 one nut covered with a dried and furry 



