10 20 25 SPARK PLUG Background of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a spark plug, particularly of the type having a ground electrode that combines alcohol corrosion resistance with spark wear resistance. [0002] Spark plugs are used for internal combustion engines such as automotive engines. The development of the structures and materials of the spark plugs has been pursued as the internal environments of combustion chambers of the internal combustion engines become harsh with the performance improvement of the intemal combustion engines. For example, the following reports have been made on ground electrodes of the spark plugs. [0003] There is commonly used a ground electrode having a single-layer structure of nickel alloy. With the performance improvement of auxiliary equipment such as turbocharger in the internat combustion engine, the amount of heat generated by combustion of air-fuel mixture in a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine becomes increased so that the ground electrode, which protrudes in the combustion chamber, receives a large amount of combustion heat. Under such a large combustion heat, the nickel alloy single-laver ground electrode reaches a high temperature and causes pre-ignition as discussed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. HOS-13146 (hereinafter referred to as IP H05-13146 A). In view of this pre-ignition problem, JP H05-13146 A proposes a spark plug having a ground electrode with improved thermal conductivity so as to, even when the ground electrode receives heat generated by combustion of air-fuel mixture in a combustion chamber, decrease the temperature of the ground electrode (see e.g paragraph [0005] of JP HOS-13146A). More specifically, the ground electrode of JP HOS-13146 A has a hybrid structure including a core formed of highly thermally conductive nickel or nickel alloy and an outer layer portion applied to the core with a thickness H of 0.25 to 0.35 mm and formed of nickel alloy having better high-temperature oxidizability than that of the core (see e.g. claim 1 of JP10 15 20 25 30 H05-13146 A). Further, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Applic: HO4-43585 (hereinafter referred to as JP H04-43585 A) proposes a ground electrode in Publication No. formed of a clad material including at least two kind or more of nickel alloys and copper or copper alloy longitudinally embedded in the nickel alloys for further improvement of thermal conductivity and for ease of production. Summary of the Invention {0004} In recent years, there has been an increasing demand to meet the wide variety of fuels and the harsh environments of combustion chambers of internal combustion engines. Among others, the internal environment of the combustion chamber are rapidly becoming more harsh in the alcohol fuel engine, In such a harsh environment of the combustion chamber, itis likely that the ground electrade of the spark plug will be corroded by alcohol fuel. [0005] Asa result of extensive researches made on the durability of the ground electrode, the present inventors have found that the probability of corrosion of the. ground electrode by alcohol fuel varies depending on the content of nickel in the material of the ground electrode, In particular, the ground electrode can attain alcoho! corrosion resistance when formed of a low nickel alloy such as Inconel (tradename). The ground eleetrode is however low in spark wear resistance and short in lifetime when the nickel content of the ground electrode is low. In order to ensure spark wear resistance, itis conceivable to join a noble metal tip to a spark discharge region of the ground electrode, However, the noble metal tip is expensive. For cost reduction of the spark plug, it is desirable to impart both of alcohol corrosion resistance and spark weat resistance to the ground electrode without the use of such an expensive noble metal tip. [0006] Its accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a spark plug having a ground electrode that combines alcohol corrosion resistance with spark wear resistance. {0007} According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a spark plug comprising: an insulator having an axial hole formed therein in a direction of an axis; a center electrode disposed in a front side of the axial hole; a cylindrical metal10 20 25 30 shell arranged in the direction of the axis so as to surround an outer circumference of the insulator; and a ground electrode having a base end portion joined to a front end portion of the metal shell and a distal end portion facing a front end face of the center electrode with a gap left therebetween, wherein the ground electrode comprises: an electrode base having a nickel content of 96 mass% or higher; and a protective layer formed on an outer side of the electrode base and having a chromium content of 15 mass% or higher at an outer surface thereof; and wherein, in a cross section of the {ground electrode taken perpendicular to the outer surface of the protective layer, the number of erystal grain boundaries per millimeter length at the outer surface of the protective layer is 4 or mote. [0008] The following configurations (i) to (ili) are preferred for the above spark: plug, (The number of crystal grain boundaries per millimeter length at the outer surface of the protective layer is 8 or more. Gi) The electrode base contains atleast one kind of rare-earth element in a total amount of 0.05 to 0.5 mass%. (iii) The electrode base has a crystal grain size of 150 jm or smaller. (iv) The electrode base contains at least one kind of rare-earth element in a total amount of 0.01 to 0.5 mass% (¥) The ground electrode has an outer side surface located further away from the center electrode and lateral side surfaces located adjacent to the outer side surface; and the protective layer is formed on pasts of the lateral side surfaces in front of the front end face of the center electrode. (vi) The protective layer contains $ mass% or more of chtomium and has a thickness of 0.02 to 0.2 mm. (vii) The protective layer is formed on at least a part of the outer side surface in front of the front end face of the center electrode. (vii) ‘The protective layer is formed on the entire surface of the electrode base except an area on which the front end face of the center electrode is projected in the direction of the axis. [009] Inthe present invention, the ground electrode is provided with the