^ 42 ^ Of yegetailon] 
which would be the (horteft and nearcft 
way to convey nourifhment to it 5 but the 
Tingle umbilical veffeh by which the kernel 
is nourifhed, fetches a compafs round the ‘ 
concave of the ftone, and then enters the 
kernel near its cone^ by which artifice this 
veflel being much prolonged, the motion of 
the fap is thereby retarded, and a vifeid 
nutriment conveyed to the feed, which turns 
to hard fubftance. 
The like artifice of nature we may obferve 
in the long capillary fibrous veflels which 
lie between the green hull, and the 
_hard fhell of the Walnut, which are 
analogous to the fibrous Mace of Nutmegs, 
the ends of whofe hairy fibres are inferred 
into the angles of the furrows in the Walnut- 
fhell: Their ufe is therefore doubtlefs to 
carry in thofe long diftinft vefiels the very 
vifeous matter which turns, when dry, to a 
hard fhell 5 whereas were the fhell immedi- 
ately nourifned from the foft pulpous hull 
that furrounds it, it would certainly be of 
the fame foft conftitution : The ufe of the 
hull being only to keep the fhell in a foft 
duftile ftate till the Nut has done growing. 
We may obferve the like cfFeft of a flower 
motion 
