Pumpkin Kart is on a journey to remove the long-distance barrier in getting your favorite food and grocery delivered to doorsteps

Pumpkin Kart

After the phenomenal , one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges, investors from all over the world were spurred to deeply reexamine the “well-being” of their prospective portfolio companies. As a result, what we can see now is a rising number of investors’ requests to carry out strict due diligence procedures before making any investments. Such procedures involve a comprehensive analysis of the financial, product, strategic, and legal aspects of the company’s operations, especially if they pertain to the current developments in cryptocurrency. collapse of FTX We expect that the upcoming year will bring in a new era of conscientiousness for the investor and a heightened level of transparency regarding the solvency and intentions of a company. At the same time, we believe that in order to adapt and prepare proactively, it is vital for investors and startup founders to have an easy-to-understand guide of what to contemplate and prepare for within the legal realm of due diligence. This brief guide centers on the legal aspects of due diligence, which refers to the process of collecting and assessing a company's legal documents to identify risks for both the company and its investors before entering into an investment agreement. In the following sections, we will cover the major aspects of legal due diligence related to the company’s intellectual property and outline the 10 most common mistakes. For your convenience, at the end of this guide, you will find a comprehensive due diligence checklist designed for investment and simple M&A transactions. How to Prepare for the Upcoming Legal Due Diligence Process Once a potential investor has analyzed the substance of a project and made a positive decision to invest, the next step is legal due diligence (“ ”). While every investor might have their own focus of interest within the DD process, they all will engage in a review of the company’s legal documents. DD The range of the requested documents varies and is dependent upon the level of investor scrutiny. However, virtually all legal DDs involve a review of the company’s charter documents, actual capital structure, IP assignment agreements, employee relationship structure, history of litigation, previous investment documents (if any), and materially important contracts with suppliers, partners, or customers. IP Protection The main value for each company, especially technological startups, is its (“ ”). Therefore, in this section, we’ll break down the most common features of legal due diligence related to the company’s IP as a cornerstone of each project. intellectual property IP Consolidation of IP In the U.S. standard market practice, virtually all equity financing term sheets and investment agreements stipulate that all intellectual property developed within the project must be transferred to the investment recipient, which means that: All founders must sign the IP assignment agreement; All employment and services agreements must contain the IP assignment clause; If the company has any subsidiaries in other jurisdictions, all intellectual property assigned to these entities by the local employees must also be transferred to the US entity; and All domain names must be registered on the name of the entity, and not its founder. Trademarks Trademarks serve as an indicator of the source of goods or services. Trademark registration confers certain privileges, such as constructive notice to market participants of the company’s ownership of the trademark (the right to use the ® symbol) and additional rights in the event of litigation. Thus, if the company has any trademarks, it is vital to assess the following criteria during the DD process: The ownership, validity, scope, and enforceability of the company’s trademarks; Any possible risks of trademark infringement posed by the use or registration of the company’s trademarks; and The ability to expand the use and registration of the trademarks to other goods and/or services provided or to be provided by the company in the foreseeable future. If the company doesn’t have any trademarks, founders and investors should evaluate whether the actual stage of the company’s development requires trademark protection for the goods or services provided. If yes, check whether the desired name is available for trademark registration. Patents To avoid situations where larger tech companies copy the company’s idea, certain IP should be properly patented. As a rule of thumb, patents are issued for inventions (such as processes or machines) that are new, useful, and non-obvious, as well as for industrial designs. Startup founders and their investors often inquire about the applicable national boundaries placed on their patent or if they can obtain a patent on the startup’s invention, especially in terms of patenting certain software. The most important points to consider in this regard are: . The patentability of software is still a hot topic discussed by the courts and the USPTO. Generally, if the company’s software implements technical improvements to the computer system, it might be able to obtain a patent registration with the help of a competent patent attorney. Software can be patentable in the U.S sometimes . If the company operates in several markets, it might be necessary to obtain a patent registration in each applicable jurisdiction. U.S. patents are effective only within the U.S For DD purposes, make sure that you have timely access to all the information about the patents registered in the company’s name, including its scope, date of registration, expiration date (if any), and the essence of the invention. Top 10 Legal Mistakes in Startup Documents 1. The Company Is Not in Good Standing with the State of Incorporation One of the most common mistakes we’ve witnessed is when a company submits its documents for legal review and the first thing that pops up is that the company has lost its good standing with the state of incorporation. For Delaware entities, there can be two major reasons behind such outcomes: (1) failure to timely pay franchise tax, and (2) failure to appoint a registered agent. Thus, before initiating the due diligence process, make sure that the company has paid all the state-imposed taxes. Investors are advised to request a Certificate of Good Standing (“ ”) issued by the state from the company beforehand. If you’re a startup founder, before ordering a copy of a CoGS, we recommend looking up your entity on the state’s website and checking whether it has paid all taxes due and has a registered agent appointed. CoGS Failure to timely pay state-specific taxes or appoint a registered agent may lead to forfeiting the company’s active status. In Delaware, a forfeited status lasting for more than 2 years may lead to the administrative dissolution of the entity. Therefore, be extremely attentive to state-specific regulations, and, if you plan to invest in a certain project, don’t hesitate to ask for the documents confirming the company’s good standing before writing a check. Otherwise, in the words of Charles Perrault, “At midnight, it all will turn into a pumpkin.” 2. Investment Agreements and Stock Purchase Agreements Are Not Approved by the Company’s Board of Directors Our experience in due diligence audits tells us that in 90% of cases, companies fail to approve stock transfers by the board of directors. To avoid this, remember the general rule: almost each and every transaction involving the present or future sale, purchase, or transfer of shares must be approved by the company’s board of directors. Stick to this rule and you’ll avoid disputes relating to the validity of the stock transfers in the future. 3. Cap table Contains a Reference to the Employee Stock Option Plan While None Is Actually Adopted Another common mistake we see in every second cap table is the allocation of certain shares for the purposes of the employee stock option plan (“ ”) without any documents approving its actual implementation. One should keep in mind that it is not enough to create a corresponding line in the cap table titled “Option Plan.” If the company hasn’t granted any options yet, the ESOP must contain at least three mandatory documents: ESOP The ESOP itself outlining the rules for granting and exercising the options; Board approval of the ESOP; Shareholders’ approval of the ESOP. If the company has verbally agreed to grant options to certain employees, it is a slippery path. Without any documented evidence of such intention, the company may revoke its offer at any time without any consequences other than losing a valuable employee and damage to the team morale. Therefore, once someone is granted an option to purchase the company’s shares, such option grant must be confirmed by the corresponding Option Grant Notice, Option Agreement, and Exercise Agreement set aside until the moment of actual exercise of the option. And, it is worth repeating it: each option grant must be accompanied by the corresponding board resolution. 4. Cap table Contains References to Persons Who Have No Documentary Allocated Stock This mistake often occurs when shareholders transfer a portion of their stake to another person. For example, a company has signed a term sheet with the first angel investor that stipulates that aside from the SAFE to be entered into between the investor and the company, the founder also undertakes to transfer a portion of their shares of common stock to the investor. However, after receiving the investment amount, the founders just changed the numbers in their cap table without taking any additional actions to ratify the transfer. One should always remember that term sheets are aimed at documenting the intent to enter into certain agreements and are generally not legally binding. Therefore, if there was some kind of reallocation of shares within the company, always secure it with a corresponding stock transfer agreement and a board resolution. 5. Documents Are Not Signed or Lost The general path for each transaction should contain 5 simple steps: (1) negotiate, (2) draw up an agreement, (3) sign it, (4) immediately upload it to the company’s data room, and (5) send a signed copy to your counterparty. Nevertheless, in a rush toward the project’s commercial success, founders often forget about proper bookkeeping and signing the essential documents. While preparing for or conducting DD, ensure that each and every document has all necessary signatures. For board resolutions, check that all directors have signed the documents. If the directors were not able to reach a unanimous decision and it was taken by the majority of the board, check that the resolution itself contains this information. Another case is when the founders use several methods of document signing and thereby store the signed versions of the documents in several different places: someone’s cabinet, DocuSign account, email, photos gallery, etc. As a result, when it comes to due diligence, it takes weeks or even months to compile all the documents in a single place. Such a delay may be qualified as a red flag by the investor making him reconsider his investment decision. If you’re a founder, remember that consistency is the key: try to keep all of your documents in a specific data room, be it created via an additional platform or on the company’s Google Drive. 6. Documents Are Signed by Persons Having No Authority to Do So As a general rule, the company’s CEO is the only signatory, unless other officers or employees are specifically granted such rights. However, it is not uncommon as part of DD to see stock purchase agreements or other agreements signed by a member of the board or any other corporate officer who have no such signatory rights. This is especially the case when the document is supposed to be signed by one person (CEO) from both sides in its capacity as the company’s CEO and shareholder. Nevertheless, it is a standard market practice and the document will not be voided just because it was signed by the CEO twice. While checking the signatures on the company’s documents, verify that the signatory was allowed to sign by virtue of the company’s bylaws, board resolution, or the power of attorney valid as of the date of signature. 7. The Number of Issued Shares of the Company Exceeds the Number of Authorized Shares This mistake is usually repeated by the newly incorporated companies at the pre-seed or seed stage. The company’s Certificate of Incorporation always states the maximum amount of shares that the company may distribute among its shareholders at any time in its existence. However, we often see that the companies with 10,000,000 authorized shares of common stock in their cap table distribute 12,000,000 or even 17,000,000 shares among their shareholders. One should remember that the number of issued shares can never exceed the number of authorized shares. If the number of issued shares in the company’s cap table is approaching the number of authorized shares, the company should either repurchase a portion of shares or file a Certificate of Amendment of Certificate of Incorporation with the state to increase the overall number of shares available for further distribution. 8. The Documents Are Signed as of the Date Earlier Than the Date of the Company’s Incorporation This mistake usually appears in connection with vesting schedules. Founders sometimes choose the date of vesting commencement as of the date they created the project even though this date is sometimes multiple years before the actual date of incorporation. Some lawyers agree that the vesting commencement date can be indicated before the incorporation, while others argue that a non-existent entity cannot be a party to any agreements prior to its incorporation. We usually advise founders to recalculate the vesting schedule starting from the date of incorporation rather than explaining to investors’ lawyers why it is set 2 years prior to the company’s formation. 9. No Employment or Services Agreements Are Signed with the Team When it comes to key employees, it is standard practice to offer them an employment agreement that is effective for a certain term and provides them with certain guarantees. At the same time, for non-key staff, it is more common to use service agreements instead of employment agreements. If none of these agreements are present and the team receives its compensation based on verbal agreements, it reveals two major red flags: All intellectual property created by non-employed team members remains the sole property of its creator even after they decide to leave the project; and Nothing prohibits direct competition for the duration of employment with the company and for a few years thereafter. 10. The Company Plans to Acquire Investments Through SAFEs and Convertible Notes While Being an LLC Be careful with the entity type you plan to use as an investment recipient. The most common investment agreements such as SAFE, KISS, and Convertible Notes work out only with C-Corporations. While it is theoretically possible to create a legal Frankenstein in a form of the Convertible Note designed for LLCs, it will make no practical sense because it places an unnecessary tax burden on both the company and its investors. If you do not plan to attract additional investments but rather sell the whole business at a certain stage or are unsure what entity type will suit your needs best, feel free to consult our . Legal Guide for Startup Founders Startup Legal Due Diligence Checklist Throughout the years, we were involved in 300+ legal due diligence reviews on multiple sides, be it a startup or the investor’s legal team, different parties to M&A transactions, etc. As a result, we compiled our best legal due diligence practices into a checklist of must-have documents for every U.S.-incorporated entity. The proposed checklist does not take into account the peculiarities of a particular project, but it has proven to be viable in many projects. Just follow each line and check the box across the relevant documents while going through the company’s data room. Download Startup Legal Due Diligence Checklist >> Quick tip: if you are a company’s founder, you can use the sections of this checklist as a guideline to structure your company’s internal documents database long before the due diligence procedure is even on your radar. This will save you a few nerves when the time for due diligence comes. This article was written by and , with some editorial help from Roman Buzko and Robert Lynch. The authors are lawyers at Buzko Krasnov, a law firm that advises entrepreneurs and investors under US law with a focus on new technologies and investment deals. Anastasiya Belyaeva Polina Karachentseva

Startup Legal Due Diligence: A Brief Guide for Investors and Founders

Diligencia debida legal para empresas emergentes: una breve guía para inversores y fundadores

Devoir de diligence juridique des startups : un bref guide pour les investisseurs et les fondateurs

स्टार्टअप लीगल ड्यू डिलिजेंस: निवेशकों और संस्थापकों के लिए एक संक्षिप्त गाइड

スタートアップの法務デューデリジェンス: 投資家と創業者のための簡単なガイド

Due Diligence Legal de Startups: Um Breve Guia para Investidores e Fundadores

Thẩm định pháp lý khởi nghiệp: Hướng dẫn ngắn gọn cho nhà đầu tư và nhà sáng lập

创业法律尽职调查：投资者和创始人简要指南

MALDONADO

CULTIVATED PLANTS: CEREAL AND CULINARY PLANTS

Hi Hackernoon! Tech experts warmly welcomed my . Even a top-level expert from Weaveworks contacted me after reading it. And I was greatly surprised. After some warm words, we agreed that they would wait for the second part of my article. Well, the time has come. previous article on GitOps Let’s dive in! Content Overview The Multiple Environments Problem Values From Secrets Issue CI Ops vs GitOps So, Who Really Needs GitOps? Conclusion The Multiple Environments Problem We've already dealt with Flux workflow in the previous part. Now let's move on. Here is our Helm release. Suppose we rolled out changes to the development environment, tested everything, and wanted to roll out to the stage. How can we do that? We have GitOps, so obviously, we want to maximize the Git approach (merge code from dev to stage). But in this Helm release configuration, we can't do that because (for example) we have a different base in the stage environment (lines 20...23). What does GitOps say about managing environments? , GitOps says "Why don't you just have one environment, and you won't have to do anything stupid". I, for one, am not sure how many teams have only one environment. GitOps ideologues don't seem to be sure about that either. So they say, "Well, if you really need multistage, do it somewhere outside of the GitOps scope. Within your system, for example." CI/CD Values From So we think, review the options, and find a few. The first one is (lines 15, 16, 17). valuesFiles We can describe separate values files for individual environments and plug them into HelmRelease. But this scheme doesn't fit well to git merge either. Next, we try valuesFrom. Our environment namespace may contain one or more config maps and/or secrets (lines 22...25). From them, Helm-controller can take Values and customize our Helm chart. And I like that. I even make a separate Helm chart where I configure all microservices, link it to the application charts with the dependsOn key (line 16), and proudly call it a single point of platform configuration. And then, the following happens: I have several Kubernetes clusters. My colleagues come and say: "Let's write another config map, and there will be cluster-specific Values (lines 26...28). For example, cluster name, Ingress suffix, region, and access rights. And we will create this config map with , together with the cluster. Terraform When this happens, I need to take a weightier argument and consistently explain the depth of their downfall to my colleagues. Because in this particular case, our application configuration will depend on 4 repositories (application chart repository, platform setup repository, flux infrastructure repository, terraform file repository) and two deployment systems (Flux and terraform). This is where I can give you some advice. If you want to work with , you should have only one value in your variables and config map. It must be the name of the environment you are deploying to. Everything else should be done inside the Helm chart using templating mechanisms. valuesFrom Secrets Issue Next point. We have a Helm release with a line that should not be there - the database password (line 23). What does GitOps tell us about managing secrets? , It says Never store your passwords in clear text in a Git repository. What can we say? Thanks, Cap! The next thing GitOps offers us is: Let's generate your passwords randomly when you create your environment. And you will make all objects that require password protection based on those passwords. That way, the password will never leave the environment, everything will be secured, and everyone will be happy. Nice, sure. But how many people, for example, have their SQL database in Kubernetes? Or is a cross-plane installed there? As a rule, we don't create heavy, persistent services inside or from inside a Kubernetes cluster. : Read on for the following alternative approaches Let's use tools like Mozilla SOPS or Bitnami Sealed Secrets when we do public and private keys. The private key is written to the cluster. With the public key, we encrypt our passwords and commit to a Git repository. At the time of deployment, some tool inside Kubernetes decrypts this and gives it to applications. And a specially trained Ops team member will write this key to the cluster. Let him carry a printout of it in his jacket pocket and then carefully enter it by hand. OK, that seems like the best option. Now let's think about it. In , old but still relevant, there is, for example, the 31st question: "Can a user's account be disabled on all systems in 1 hour?". Your Ops guy quit. And if your Kubernetes clusters are not under a single sign-on system, then you must run across all clusters and delete his account from everywhere. The Limoncelli Test: 32 Questions for Your Sysadmin Team The next question is, "Can you change all privileged (root) passwords in 1 hour?". That secret key that your Ops guy compromised by getting fired is that root password. And to change it, you have to do certain things: Extract the private key from the cluster Decrypt what we have in the Git repository with it Make new keys Write the private key to the cluster Encrypt the passwords Commit them to git Run it through the release cycle and deprecate it And you have to do it in a particular order because we have an asynchronous pool model. Any careless rollout can turn your environment into a pumpkin. And rollback won't help here. A couple of words for fans of external secret stores like Hashicorp Vault. I haven't found a consensus on them, but from a common-sense point of view, using external secret stores makes Git an even more non-unique source of truth and thus goes against the GitOps approach. CI Ops vs GitOps As part of the GitOps concept's PR, WaveWorks has often referred to classic CI Ops as an outdated approach and anti-pattern. Why? Because with GitOps, we can separate the stage of the deployment, protect it, and manage it more clearly. Within CI Ops, the deployment stage becomes a part of the monolithic pipeline. And because of this, several disadvantages arise. We will now analyze this fact. But! To get a fair comparison, we must choose a "fighter" from the CI-systems side. Let's take the popular and familiar to many people Gitlab, which implements the concept of pipelines as code. Your CI code is in the same repository as your application and is actually part of it. This allows for greater CI/CD transparency, self-documenting pipelines, and knowledge transfer within the team... CI Ops vs GitOps: Security The first problem is poor security. It's like we have a CI system within CI Ops, and developers have full access to Kubernetes through it, and it's non-secure. And within GitOps, we have an asynchronous executor pool that we don't have direct access to, greatly increasing the system's security. Let's put Flux in and see what the actual security is. By default, Flux gives cluster administrator rights to all of its controllers. Obviously, it's not very secure. Let's try to improve this situation. I have found an for Flux multiuser use. We create a tenant and see that namespace and ServiceAccount are generated. article about multi-tenancy Flux controllers get administrator rights to this namespace, not all of them, just Kustomize controllers. Earlier, using to limit the Flux Helm controller was recommended. Now, they offer some strange mechanism with patching of controller's deployments so that it starts to pick up the account service from the namespace where it is deployed. Kyverno But let's just think about it, abstracting from the toolkit. We have two schemes: the synchronous push and asynchronous pull models. Which one is safer, assuming they both have admin rights? That's a rhetorical question because admin rights are admin rights. But even if we restrict infrastructure rights, these schemes have roughly the same access to infrastructure, passwords, and persistent data. They can harm. If you look at the problem a bit from the outside, you can see that in both cases, you have a Git repository. And it contains both application code and infrastructure code. And probably the only way to stop all the abuse here is to control what gets into your Git. Gitlab has a mechanism for (though only in the paid version for now, but as we know, Gitlab's paid features are quickly moving to the community version). Merge request approvals This mechanism prevents you from merging your changes into the working branch of your repository until the right number of peers have reviewed your changes and confirmed that they are OK. This rather simple mechanism increases security many times over—much more than the difference between pull and push models. CI Ops vs GitOps: Rollback Procedure Another disadvantage that GitOps ideologues cite is the difficulty of rolling back CI. Their guides say that the CI system is not meant to be the only source of truth. This means that when working with the CI system, we cannot determine what we have clustered and what we will roll back to. But with GitOps, we have an infrastructure repository synchronizing with the infrastructure, so we do a git revert. And everything is fine. Let's think. GitOps only covers the deployment stage. But since git cannot be the only source of truth, we should think about rollback at the stage of building our artifacts. Besides, Flux has everything in place to make rollbacks difficult or impossible. For example, we can awfully tag a docker image (line 19). Also, we can use the Helm chart version range (line 11). And if we use Helm chart from the application repository, we may need to roll back the application repository to roll back our environment. In addition, don't forget about possible dependencies in a separate repository, which we may also need to roll back. valuesFrom Flux also has recommendations for organizing infrastructure repositories. For example, Monorepo. It is when we have the infrastructure for all our environments in one branch in different folders. Or, for example, Repo per team. It is when each team has its own folder in a shared infrastructure repository. This is where you must be very careful when rolling back so you don't delete extra. As for CI Ops, Gitlab may be the only source of truth. Gitlab has a so-called environment mechanism, where we specify the name of an environment in a Pipeline Deploy step and see its state in the environment tracking. It immediately becomes transparent which pipelines, from which branch, and from which commits are got. We also have a visual display of the pipelines, where we can see what rolled in there and whether those stages passed. We can roll back to the right stage. It is decisively impossible when looking at the commit history in an infrastructure repository in the GitOps concept. Alternatively, we can , thus making the pipeline atomic. And this would really be the only source of truth. save the docker image as an artifact in the pipeline As a result, to rollback within the implementation described above, you would just need to restart the Rollout Job in the Pipeline History in the Gitlab visual interface. CI Ops vs GitOps: The Problem of Multiple Clusters According to the GitOps concept developers, it is difficult to propagate changes to multiple clusters in CI Ops. Allegedly, in a CI system, we need to script, script, and script. But in the beautiful GitOps, we just put Flux in a new cluster and give it an infrastructure repository. One moment and our application is already in the new cluster. Let's start analyzing. Here is our custom resource Helm-release in the infrastructure repository. I have 2 questions when looking at this Helm release: Where did this application come from? Where is its repository? Where are the build logs and test run results? From which branch and from which commit is it deployed? Where is the application deployed to? How many fluxes in which clusters look at this infrastructure repository and pull configuration from there? "Out of GitOps scope" can be the answer to the first question. We just need to write a proper HelmRelease push script that will write all the information we need in the commit message. For the second question, Flux offers a with the creation of an infrastructure repository (flux-fleet) to manage Flux specifically. Before installing Flux in a cluster, we first commit all YAMLs describing the installation of flux controllers and related custom resources. Then we apply them to the target cluster. When we need to connect a git repository and Kustomize to a new infrastructure repository, we commit to that infrastructure repository again. bootstrap mechanism So we have the entire list of our clusters and all the accesses in one repository. And it works fine until some manual operations happen. For example, your Ops expert quits. Let's say there's a Kubernetes cluster somewhere where he put Flux and gave him manual bypass flux-fleet access to your infrastructure repositories. You may never know if you didn't do the access revocation and key regeneration. So I'd recommend writing down step zero on your checklist as creating a flux-fleet repository and bootstrap Flux. Otherwise, you will have secret knowledge that may one day be lost with the employee. What do we have in CI-ops? In Gitlab, we can declare reusable pieces of code (lines 1...9). We can inherit from these pieces of code (lines 13, 19, 25) and declare some additional variables (lines 15, 21, 27) when we make a new environment. In this case, it is the name of the cluster relative to which we will change the functioning of our scripts. In this way, we will deploy to a new environment and get its automatic tracking. So, Who Really Needs GitOps? There are a few cases where I think a GitOps approach can be justified: You don't have a CI/CD system, or it can't provide normal deployment for some reason. Improved security. GitOps can really add to the mix of measures to improve the security of your infrastructure. The lion's share of security issues are "out of GitOps scope" and should be addressed before or in conjunction with GitOps implementation. You have a large, multi-component platform that is tested and deployed. In this sense, a GitOps infrastructure repository is a good way to make a "stable" version of the platform and operate it as a single entity. You have processes where the pull model has advantages over the push model (e.g., canary deployments). So what is GitOps? For those who like precise formulas, GitOps = Continuous Delivery - Continuous Deployment. So it's not a CD concept. It's just (one more) way to organize automatic deployment. By and large, this methodology brought almost nothing new. The methodology authors took the ideas of Infrastructure as code (IaC), added a PULL-based approach with a reconciliation loop from SCM of the last generation (puppet, chef), and made it mandatory to keep the configuration in GIT. Indeed, a new and key concept of GitOps is the concept of Git as a single source of truth, but this concept is clearly mediocre and has some flaws. In fact, it's an attempt to take a deployment step from an application delivery pipeline and put it into Git. One of the key principles of DevOps is that there are no bad actors. There are bad processes. Hence the blameless culture and the understanding that you need to organize processes in such a way that the problem becomes impossible. But because of the limited concept of GitOps, it has too many gaps and potential problems, too many things to do "out of GitOps scope". All this leads to misunderstanding of how to organize processes properly and, consequently, to workarounds with all the consequences. To build a good GitOps process, a company needs high IT maturity because the authors of the concept left out too many important things. So, GitOps does not provide any significant advantage over a well-organized CI Ops process, although it significantly increases the final system complexity and labor costs. And in my opinion, many GitOps tools understand this by implementing GitOps in addition to image building, e.g., Gitkube and JenkinsX. Conclusion What else are we missing to make us happy? We obviously don't have enough notifications. We have an asynchronous pull model. In this model, we don't understand what exactly this pull executor is doing on its side if it doesn't explicitly notify us. Let's add the installation and configuration of the notification controller to our checklist and match it. So, to work with GitOps, we need to do: Flux-fleet repository Bootstrap flux in a Kubernetes cluster using the flux-fleet repository Script for building and pushing images in the Docker registry Infrastructure Git repository Account for CI system access to the infrastructure GIT repository Script to generate and push the HelmRelease file Helm Repository Account for CI system access to the Helm repository Script to build and publish the Helm chart Flux account for the infrastructure repository Flux account for Helm chartʼs repository Flux account for the application repository Flux account for cluster access for an engineer on the Ops team GIT repository for "single point of platform configuration" Flux account to access the GIT repository Slack/Teams channel for Notification Controller Most of these items are "out of GitOps scope". And it's not a methodology problem. But as an experienced engineer, I understand that I can't do GitOps without these items. What about CI Ops? As part of CI Ops on Gitlab, we don't need to do many extra actions to make GitOps work. We need to: Make the CI script to build and publish a docker image Add Helm release deploy to the script via Helm apply Create an account for the CI system to access Kubernetes With that, deprived of the illusion that it's secure, we'll be more responsible in setting up access to the CI system and the cluster. In addition, we get a built-in integrated docker registry, built-in environment handling, built-in secrets handling, built-in notification of the execution of the pipeline stages, and some integrations.

What Is GitOps And Why Is It (Almost) Useless? Part 2

229 Stories To Learn About Bitcoin Spotlight

Business English: A Practice Book by Rose Buhlig is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . PRONUNCIATION here PRONUNCIATION We are judged by our speech. If we clip syllables, run words together, or pronounce them incorrectly, we shall merit the criticism of being careless or even ignorant. Yet clear enunciation and correct pronunciation are sometimes difficult. We learn most words by hearing others say them, and, if we do not hear the true values given to the different syllables, we shall find it hard to distinguish the correct from the incorrect forms. Children whose parents speak a foreign language usually have to watch their speech with especial care; Germans, for example, find difficulty in saying and Irish people in saying as in . The exercises in this chapter are given for the purpose of correcting such habits. The words in the exercises should be pronounced repeatedly, until the correct forms are instinctive. th oi oil Train the ear to hear the difference between sounds, as in and in . Don't slide over the final consonant in such words as and . Watch words containing . The dictionary tells us that was originally written , the coming before the and we still pronounce it so, although we write the before the . The word is of the same kind. The dictionary tells us that it was first spelled . Such words should be carefully noted and their pronunciation practiced. just jest going reading wh where hwar h w; w h whether hweder Then there is the habit of slurring syllables. We may understand what is meant by the expression "C'm' on" or "Waja say?", but most of us would prefer not to be included in the class of people who use either. Correct speech cannot be mastered without an effort. In the following exercises watch every vowel and every consonant so that you may give each one its full value. Exercise 10—Diacritical Marks Although an is always written , it is not always given the same quality or length of sound. When we discover a new word, it is important that we know exactly the quality to give each of the vowels in it. For this purpose have been invented. They are illustrated in the following list from Webster's . a a diacritical marks International Dictionary Due to the constraints of HTML, a letter with a tack above such as cannot be displayed. For this reason [+x] has been used to denote a letter with a tack above it. Transcriber's Note: ā as in āte, fāte, lāb´or [+a] " " sen´[+a]te, del´ic[+a]te, [+a]e´rial â " " câre, shâre, pâr´ent ă " " ăm, ădd, răn´dom ä " " ärm, fär, fä´ther ȧ " " ȧsk, grȧss, pȧss, dȧnce a̠ " " fi´na̠l, in´fa̠nt, guid´ānce a̤ " " a̤ll, a̤we, swa̤rm, ta̤lk ē " " ēve, mēte, serēne´ [+e] " " [+e]vent´, d[+e]pend´, soci´[+e]ty ĕ " " ĕnd, mĕt, ĕxcuse´, ĕfface´ ẽ " " fẽrn, hẽr, ẽr´mine, ev´ẽr e " " re´c nt, de´c ncy, pru´d nce e e e ī " " īce, tīme, sīght, inspīre´ [+i] " " [+i]dea´, tr[+i]bu´nal, b[+i]ol´ogy ĭ " " ĭll, pĭn, pĭt´y, admĭt´ ō " " ōld, nōte, ō´ver, prōpose´ [+o] " " [+o]bey´, t[+o]bac´co, sor´r[+o]w ô " " ôrb, lôrd, ôr´der, abhôr´ ŏ " " ŏdd, nŏt, tŏr´rid, ŏccur´ ū " " ūse, pūre, dū´ty, assūme´ [+u] " " [+u]nite´, ac´t[+u]ate, ed[+u]ca´tion ṳ " " rṳde, rṳ´mor, intrṳde´ ụ " " fụll, pụt, fụlfill´ ŭ " " ŭp, tŭb, stŭd´y û " " ûrn, fûr, concûr´ y̆ " " pit´y̆, in´jury̆, divin´ity̆ o͞o " " fo͞ol, fo͞od, mo͞on o͝o " " fo͝ot, wo͝ol, bo͝ok ou " " out, thou, devour´ oi " " oil, noi´sy, avoid´ ā is called long , and is marked with the a macron ă is called short , and is marked with the a breve â is called caret , and is marked with the a caret ä is called Italian , and is marked with the a diaeresis ȧ is called short Italian , and is marked with the a dot ẽ is called tilde , and is marked with the or e tilde wave Exercise 11—Vowels Of the twenty-six letters in the alphabet, how many are vowels? Name them. What are the other letters called? Compare the in and the in . Which has more nearly the sound of in the alphabet? This is called the natural or long sound of the vowel. The other is called the short sound. ă hat ā hate a Drop the from . Explain the result. e hate Name other monosyllables ending in and containing the long sound. e a Explain the difference in pronunciation between , , , , , , , . Pete pet ripe rip hope hop cube cub Find other monosyllables ending in and containing a long vowel that becomes short if the is dropped. e e Monosyllables ending in silent usually contain a long vowel sound, which becomes short when the final is dropped.\Exercise 12 e e Pronounce carefully the following words containing the short Italian a: advȧnce clȧss lȧnce plȧster advȧntage contrȧst lȧst pȧstor ȧfter enchȧnt mȧsk prȧnce bȧsket Frȧnce mȧster rȧfter brȧnch glȧnce mȧstiff shȧft brȧss glȧss pȧss surpȧss chȧff grȧss pȧst tȧsk Exercise 13 Pronounce the following carefully, noting each that is marked: a hälf ideȧ cälm audācious pȧth cȧn't āpricot ȧghȧst ȧsk cătch mȧdrăs ălgebrȧ fäther v[+a]cātion ăgile forbăde dȧnce extrȧ cȧst trȧnce lȧss cȧsket grȧnt āviātion Exercise 14 Pronounce the vowel in the following very carefully. Don't give the sound or when you mean . o feller fella fellow fellow swallow theory borrow potato follow position heroism window original factory donkey pillow evaporate ivory memory chocolate mosquito licorice oriental Exercise 15 The vowel needs particular attention. When it is long, it is sounded naturally, as it is in the alphabet. Do not say for . u redooce reduce reduce picture educate figure produce stupid judicial duty conducive student calculate accumulate endure genuine curiosity Tuesday duration induce regular particular singular avenue tune institute nutriment constitution culinary January revenue introduce opportunity manufacture Exercise 16 Using diacritical marks indicate the value of the vowels in the following. Try marking them without first consulting a dictionary. After you have marked them, compare your markings with those used in a dictionary. pupil different diacritical gigantic alphabet several radiating gymnasium natural letter Wyoming system result eraser typical merchant Exercise 17 Pronounce carefully, noting that in each word at least one consonant is silent, and sometimes a vowel as well. Draw an oblique line through the silent letter or letters in each. through chasten sword island although often fasten daughter wrong soften calf might yacht subtle hasten bouquet gnaw almond naughty honest psalm glisten thumb palm whistle salve should knack salmon chestnut knowledge castle answer folks listen thigh knot right debt honor Exercise 18 Pronounce the following, paying particular attention to the vowels. Distinguish between the meanings of the words in each group. accept bile least prevision except boil lest provision affect carol eleven poor effect coral leaven pure addition descent neither radish edition dissent nether reddish assay emerge pasture sentry essay immerge pastor century baron Francis pillar sit barren Frances pillow set been jest point wrench bean just pint rinse gist Exercise 19 Enunciate the consonant sounds carefully in the following. Distinguish between the meanings of the words in each group. acts close treaties rows ax clothes treatise rouse advice crossed princes rues advise across princess ruse alms formerly prince either elms formally prints ether bodice grays price running bodies grace prize ruin cease lose recent walking seize loose resent walk in chance plaintive sects weather chants plaintiff sex whether does pair news worst dose payer noose worsted (yarn) doze Exercise 20 Pronounce the following, making sure that each syllable is correct. Guard against slurring the words in the last column. been such barrel Did you? gone put faucet Don't you? to with suburb Go on. for tiny hearth Our education aunt and nothing You are far poem office You're not our catch peril We're coming kept toward forbade They're coming says donkey spirit What did you say? rid again semi Where are you going? since against scared Where have you been? sleek honest saucy I want to go. creek savage turnip I'm going to go. where swept roof To-morrow morning boil velvet proof Next month hoist direct hydrant Last Saturday Exercise 21 Enunciate carefully: salary gentleman supple gymnasium because library subtle perspiration ideal wrestle italic clapboards suite vessel insect cupboard thirty friendship orchid archangel tomato judgment hovel candelabra grimy cowardice several extraordinary patron miserable pumpkin civilization omelet guarantee accurate horseshoe hundred gelatine guardian laboratory coupon glycerine delinquent tenacious awkward paraffine secretary measure hurrah portrait audacious February pigeon mercantile conquer cellar history juvenile conquest perfect diamond thousand congress grandmother asylum overalls licorice generally Exercise 22 Be especially careful of the sounds and . Add no syllable to a word and omit none. Consult a dictionary for any word below about which you are not certain: th wh when length diphthong generally where strength diphtheria forget while height anesthetic recognize wharf width betrothal hungry which depth theory geography wheel there theme instead wheeze them arithmetic isolated why eleventh bathe writing whiff twelfth lathe kettle whence thought believe language whet throat bronchitis leisure what wreaths government volume whale paths courteous column wheat months different always wheedle mouths engine once whelp myths English twice whimper breadths surprise arctic whip moths deaf Italian whit bath children picture whither earth cruel often Exercise 23—Homonyms A homonym is a word having the same sound as another but differing from it in meaning. Use each of the following in a sentence to show its meaning. aloud draft fowl principal allowed draught foul principle ascent faint gate peal assent feint gait peel aught canvas great quire ought canvass grate choir bad cereal hew seen bade serial hue scene bale cession kernel soul bail session colonel sole berry cite leased strait bury site least straight boy coarse lesser stair buoy course lessor stare by compliment mite sweet buy complement might suite council feign miner there counsel fain minor their current flour need wood currant flower knead would Exercise 24 Do the same with the following: aisle clause kill sail isle claws kiln sale awl climb key ring all clime quay wring base draught lie serge bass draft lye surge blew dew medal sole blue due meddle soul bough done peer shone bow dun pier shown bread dual pore steel bred duel pour steal bear flue profit stationary bare flew prophet stationery bridal freeze quarts wade bridle frieze quartz weighed capital guilt rest wave capitol gilt wrest waive ceiling heard root wrap sealing herd route rap Exercise 25—Syllabication What is a syllable? Choose a word and notice that every vowel sound in it makes a syllable. Therefore, you never have two vowels in one syllable unless the two are pronounced as one sound. In pronouncing notice carefully to which syllable a consonant belongs; as in , , . dif-fer-ent beau-ti-fy dai-sy Divide the following words into syllables. If you cannot decide with which syllable a consonant belongs, consult a dictionary. paper grocer rotate mystery tomato erect repeat regular vinegar polish general arithmetic If a syllable, especially an accented syllable, ends in a vowel, what is usually the length of the vowel? If the syllable ends in a consonant, what is usually the length of the vowel of the syllable? When a consonant is doubled, the division is usually made between the two letters; as, blot-ter skip-ping remit-tance neces-sary throt-tle span-ning As a rule, a prefix constitutes one syllable; as, pro-long pre-fer con-stant de-fect ad-mit re-ceive se-lect dis-trust e-merge im-merse As a rule, a suffix constitutes one syllable; as, labor-er soft-ly beauti-fy selec-tion mole-cule revolution-ist percent-age fanat-ic When two or more letters together give one sound, they must not be divided; as, math-ematics ex-change paragraph-ing abolish-ing bow-ing toil-ing nation-al gra-cious Can a word of one syllable be divided? Do not divide a syllable of one letter from the rest of the word. The division is wrong. ever-y Exercise 26 Divide the following words into syllables, using the suggestions given in the preceding exercise: accountant dissatisfaction manufacturer reference advertisement economy material repeatedly anecdote employment mechanical salesman annually energetic neighborhood security application environment occupation separate automobile especially opportunity signature beginning establishment organized specification collection expenditure permanent stenography comparison factory preparation suburban competent furniture president superintend confirmation illustration quotation systematic consequence impression realize telephone correspondence improvement receptacle treasurer counterfeit judgment recognition unanimous customer machinist recommend unusual Exercise 27—Accent What is accent? Divide into syllables, indicate the accent, and pronounce the following: expand volume defect interesting mischievous usually incomparable theatre exquisite tedious hospitable generally column inquiry impious In the following words the meaning changes with the accent. Use each word in a sentence to show its meaning. ob´ject subject contrast desert ob-ject´ insult protest extract tor´ment essay conflict compact tor-ment´ transfer compound survey minute (notice the vowel change) refuse (notice the consonant change) Bring to class a list of words that you have heard mispronounced in your classes. Be sure that you can pronounce them correctly. Exercise 28 The following words are frequently mispronounced. Divide them into syllables, mark the accent, and pronounce carefully. municipal exquisite champion accurately interesting gondola inquiry Genoa influence finance inexplicable alias illustrate deficit despicable expert inventory pretense mischievous impious alternate dirigible perfume detail About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Rose Buhlig (2011). Business English: A Practice Book. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/38046/pg38046-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

We are judged by our speech

The Story-book of Science by Jean-Henri Fabre, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book here . THE BUMBLE-BEE CHAPTER LXII. THE BUMBLE-BEE THE flowers with pollen were cut off, those with ovaries wrapped each in a separate gauze-bag. Every morning they went and watched the blossoming. With pollen taken from the cut flowers they powdered the stigmas of four or five pistillate blossoms. And it happened just as their uncle had said. The ovaries whose stigmas had received the pollen became pumpkins, the others dried up without swelling. Now, during these experiments, which were both a serious study and a joyful amusement, Uncle Paul continued his account of the flower. “The pollen reaches the stigma in divers ways. Sometimes the stamens, which are longer, let it fall by its own weight on the shorter pistil. Sometimes the wind, shaking the flower, deposits the dust of the stamens on the stigma, or even carries it long distances for the benefit of other ovaries. “There are flowers whose stamens behave in such a manner as to fulfil their mission. They bend over alternately and apply their anthers to the stigma, there to deposit some pollen; then slowly raise themselves to give place one to another. They might be regarded as a circle of courtiers depositing their offerings at the feet of a great king. These salutations at an end, the rôle of the stamens is finished. The flower fades, but the ovary begins to ripen its seeds. Diœcious plants (male and female) of Vallisneria Spiralis “The vallisneria is a plant that lives under the water. It is very common in the Southern Canal. Its leaves resemble narrow green ribbons. It is diœcious, that is to say it has flowers with stamens and those with pistils on different plants. The pistillate flowers are borne on long, tightly curled stems. The blossoms with stamens have only very short stems. Under water, where the current would carry away the pollen and prevent its fastening itself on the stigmas, the quickening action of the stamens on the pistil cannot take place. So the vallisneria, fixed by its roots in the mud, is obliged to send its flowers to the surface of the water to let them blossom in the open air. It is easy for the pistillate flowers. They unwind the curl that supports them, and mount to the surface. But what will the staminate flowers do, fastened as they are to the bottom with their short stems?” “I cannot undertake to say,” answered Jules. “Well, by their own strength, without any external aid, these flowers pull away from their stems, break their moorings, and mount to the surface to rejoin the pistillate flowers. Then they open their little white corollas and free their pollen to wind and insects, which deposit it on the stigmas. After that they die and the current carries them away, while the flowers quickened by the pollen curl up again and descend once more beneath the water, there to ripen their ovaries at leisure.” “It is wonderful, Uncle; one would say those little flowers know what they are doing.” “They do not know what they are doing; they obey mechanically the laws of Providence, which makes sport of difficulties and knows how to accomplish miracles in a simple blade of grass. Would you like another striking example of this infinite wisdom that foresees everything, arranges everything? Let us come back to the snap-dragon. “Insects are the flower’s auxiliaries. Flies, wasps, honey-bees, bumble-bees, beetles, butterflies, all vie with one another in rendering aid by carrying the pollen of the stamens to the stigmas. They dive into the flower, enticed by a honeyed drop expressly prepared at the bottom of the corolla. In their efforts to obtain it they shake the stamens and daub themselves with pollen, which they carry from one flower to another. Who has not seen bumble-bees coming out of the bosom of the flowers all covered with pollen? Their hairy stomachs, powdered with pollen, have only to touch a stigma in passing to communicate life to it. When in the spring you see on a blooming pear-tree, a whole swarm of flies, bees, and butterflies, hurrying, humming, and fluttering, it is a triple feast, my friends: a feast for the insect that pilfers in the depth of the flowers; a feast for the tree whose ovaries are quickened by all these merry little people; and a feast for man, to whom abundant harvest is promised. The insect is the best distributor of pollen. All the flowers it visits receive their share of quickening dust.” “It is in order to prevent the insects coming from neighboring gardens and bringing pollen that you have had the pumpkin blossoms covered with bags of gauze?” inquired Emile. “Yes, my child. Without this precaution the pumpkin experiment would certainly not succeed; for insects come from a distance, very far perhaps, and deposit on our flowers the pollen gathered from other pumpkins. And very little of it is necessary; a few grains are enough to give life to an ovary. “To attract the insect that it needs, every flower has at the bottom of its corolla a drop of sweet liquor called nectar. From this liquor bees make their honey. To draw it from corollas shaped like a deep funnel, butterflies have a long trumpet, curled in a spiral when at rest, but which they unroll and plunge into the flower like a bore when they wish to obtain the delicious drink. The insect does not see this drop of nectar; however, it knows that it is there and finds it without hesitation. But in some flowers a grave difficulty presents itself: these flowers are closed tight everywhere. How is the treasure to be got at, how find the entrance that leads to the nectar? Well, these closed flowers have a signboard, a mark that says clearly: Enter here.” “You won’t make us believe that!” cried Claire. “I am not going to make you believe anything, my dear child; I am going to show you. Look at this snap-dragon blossom. It is shut tight, its two closed lips leave no passage between. Its color is a uniform purplish red; but there, just in the middle of the lower lip, is a large spot of bright yellow. This spot, so appropriate for catching the eye, is the mark, the signboard I told you of. By its brightness it says: Here is the keyhole. Bumble-Bee “Press your little finger on the spot. You see. The flower yawns immediately, the secret lock works. And you think the bumble-bee does not know these things? Watch it in the garden and you will see how it can read the signs of the flowers. When it visits a snap-dragon, it always alights on the yellow spot and nowhere else. The door opens, it enters. It twists and turns in the corolla and covers itself with pollen, with which it daubs the stigma. Having drunk the drop, it goes off to other flowers, forcing the opening of which it knows the secret thoroughly. “All closed flowers have, like the snap-dragon, a conspicuous point, a spot of bright color, a sign that shows the insect the entrance to the corolla and says to it: Here it is. Finally, insects whose trade it is to visit flowers and make the pollen fall from the stamens on to the stigma, have a wonderful knowledge of the significance of this spot. It is on it they use their strength to make the flower open. “Let us recapitulate. Insects are necessary to flowers to bring pollen to the stigmas. A drop of nectar, distilled on purpose for this, attracts them to the bottom of the corolla; a bright spot shows them the road to follow. Either I am a triple idiot or we have here an admirable chain of facts. Later, my children, you will find only too many people saying: This world is the product of chance, no intelligence rules it, no Providence guides it. To those people, my friends, show the snap-dragon’s yellow spot. If, less clear-sighted than the burly bumble-bee, they do not understand it, pity them: they have diseased brains.” About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Jean-Henri Fabre (2018). The Story-book of Science. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/56795/pg56795-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org , located at https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html.

THE BUMBLE-BEE

The Story-book of Science by Jean-Henri Fabre, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book here . POLLEN CHAPTER LXI. POLLEN “IN a few days, even in a few hours, a flower withers. Pistils, stamens, calyx, fade and die. Only one thing survives: the ovary, which will become fruit. “Now, in order to outlive the other parts of the flower and remain on its stem when all the rest dries up and falls, the ovary, at the moment when blossoming is at its greatest vigor, receives a supplement of strength, I should almost say a new life. The magnificence of the corolla, its sumptuous colorings, its perfumes, serve to celebrate the solemn moment when this new vitality comes to the ovary. This great act accomplished, the flower has had its day. Grains of Pollen “Well, it is the pollen, the yellow dust of the stamens, that gives this increase of energy without which the nascent seeds would perish in the ovary, itself withered. It falls from the stamens on to the stigma, always coated with a stickiness apt to hold it; and from the stigma, it makes its mysterious action felt in the depths of the ovary. Animated with new life, the nascent seeds develop rapidly, while the ovary swells so as to give them necessary room. The final result of this incomprehensible travail is the fruit, with its contents of seeds ready to germinate and produce new plants. Do not question me further about these wonderful things concerning which even the keenest observer ceases to see clearly. God only, the wisest of beings, knows how a grain of pollen can give birth to something that was not before, and can cause the ovary to feel the stirring of the vital principle. “I will tell you now how we know that the falling of the pollen on to the stigma is indispensable to the development of the ovary into fruit. “Most flowers have both stamens and pistils. All those we have just looked at are in that class. But there are plants that have some flowers with stamens and others with pistils. Sometimes the flowers with stamens only and those with pistils only are found on the same plant; sometimes they are found on separate plants. “Did I not fear to overcharge your memory, I would tell you that plants having flowers with stamens only and flowers with pistils only on the same plant are called monœcious plants. This expression means ‘living in one house.’ In a word, the flowers with stamens and those with pistils live together in the same house, since they are found on the same plant. The pumpkin, cucumber, melon, are monœcious plants. “Vegetables whose flowers with stamens and flowers with pistils are found on different plants are termed diœcious; that is to say, plants with a double house. By this is meant that the ovary and pollen are not found in the same plant. The locust, date, and hemp are diœcious. Flowering branch of Locust Tree “The locust is a tree of extreme southern France. Its fruit grows in pods similar to those of the pea, but brown, very long, and plump. This fruit, in addition to seeds, has a sugary flesh. Supposing we took a notion, if the climate permitted, to grow locust seeds in our garden. What locust tree must we plant? Evidently the tree with pistils, because it alone possesses the ovaries which become fruit. But that is not enough. Planted by itself, the locust tree with pistils will be able to blossom abundantly every year, without ever producing any fruit; for its flowers would fall without leaving a single ovary on the branches. What is wanting? The action of the pollen. Close to the locust with pistils let us plant one with stamens. Now fructification proceeds as we wish. Wind and insects carry the pollen from the stamens to the stigmas; the torpid ovaries spring to life, and in time the locust pods grow and ripen perfectly. With pollen, fruit; without pollen, no fruit. Are you convinced, Jules?” “Without doubt, Uncle; only, unfortunately, we do not know the locust. I should prefer a plant of our own region.” Date-palm “I will tell you of one that will permit you to prove what I have told you; but first of all let me mention a second example. “The date-tree, like the locust, is diœcious. Arabs cultivate it for its fruit,—dates, their chief food.” “Dates are those long fruits of a very sweet taste, preserved dry in boxes,” said Jules. “A Turk was selling some at the last fair. The kernel is long and split all along one side from one end to the other.” “That is it. In the country of the date-tree, a sandy country burnt by the sun, spots of watered and fertile earth are rare. These spots are called oases. It is necessary to utilize them as much as possible. So the Arabs plant only date-trees with pistils, the only ones that will produce dates. But when they are in flower, the Arabs go long distances to seek bunches of flowers with stamens on wild date-trees, to shake the dust on the trees they have planted. Without this precaution there is no harvest.” “Uncle will tell us so much,” Emile interposed, “that I shall have as much regard for the pollen as I have for the ovary. Without it, I should not have tasted the dates of the Turk who smoked such a long pipe; without it, no apricots and no cherries.” “In the garden there is a long pumpkin-vine that will soon blossom. I will give it to you for the following experiment. “The pumpkin is monœcious; flowers with stamens and flowers with pistils inhabit the same house, the same plant. Before they are full-blown they can easily be distinguished from each other. The flowers with pistils have under the corolla a swelling almost as large as a nut. This swelling is the ovary, the future pumpkin. The blossoms with stamens have not this swelling. “Cut off all the blossoms with stamens before they are full-blown, and leave those with pistils. For greater surety, wrap each one of these in a piece of gauze before it is in full-bloom. The covering must be large enough to permit the flower to open. Do you know what will happen? Not being able to receive the pollen, since the flowers with stamens are cut off, and since, also, the gauze wrapping keeps out the insects from the neighboring gardens, the pistillate flowers will wither after languishing a while, and the plant will not produce any pumpkins. “Would you, on the contrary, like such and such blossoms, at your choice, to produce pumpkins in spite of their gauze prison and the suppression of the staminate blossoms? With the tip of your finger take a little pollen from one of the blossoms you have cut off, and put the yellow dust on the stigma of a pistillate flower. Then replace the gauze wrapping. That is enough, the pumpkin will come.” “You will let us try that delightful experiment?” asked Jules. “I will, I give the pumpkin-vine over to you.” “I have some gauze,” volunteered Claire. “And I some string to tie it with,” added Emile. “Come along,” cried Jules. And, gay as larks, the three children ran to the garden to get everything ready for the experiment. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Jean-Henri Fabre (2018). The Story-book of Science. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/56795/pg56795-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org , located at https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html.

PUMPKIN KART

pumpkinkart.com

-- employees

Since n.d.

COMPANY RANKING

PUMPKIN KART

EVERGREEN INDEX #8945

Representing this company? Click here to claim and customize this page!

Pumpkin Kart WIKI

Apply to get your Tech Company News Page live on HackerNoon.com today!

PUMPKIN KART

pumpkinkart.com

-- employees

Since n.d.

COMPANY RANKING

PUMPKIN KART

EVERGREEN INDEX #8945

RELATED COMPANIESRANK

STORIES ABOUT PUMPKIN KART

Representing this company? Click here to claim and customize this page!

Pumpkin Kart WIKI

Apply to get your Tech Company News Page live on HackerNoon.com today!