Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-26

patches Of ground under crude irrigation
ana cultivation, the crops they raise
being corn. potatoes. squashes and water
melons. az the Las, they arr particularly
fond. and the desert climate is admirsbly .uited
TO Their growth. However the cultivation
OF pants furnishes them neither With q sure
nor an adequate food supply Their animal
700 consists principally Of jack rabbits cotton
~ll iaooi,- ana quails. occasionally mountain
sheep or deer, and sometimes wood rats kancs-
roo rats. White-foo;ed mice and large lizard
known as the "chuckAnara" UNFORTUNATELY
They are seldom able TO obtain anv of the.e in
Abundance aud are compelled 20 rely mainly on
various indigenous food plants
PINE NUS A. Foop
Mr.. Coyille gives description in the A,a--,-
oan .inihropoiogisi Of several curious indigo
nous vegetable products which these Indian.
find useful Tor food. One Of the NOS, impo-,-
ant is the pine nut The trees grow abundantly
In the mountains, and in early autumn after
the seeds have rirened. but before the cone.
have let fall the seeds or nut. the cones are
beaten from the trees. gathered in baskets and
spread out on a smooth piece OF ground er-
posed TO the heat Of the sun. The cones soon
become dry and crack apart. when the seed.
are shaken out by blows from a stick or the
more persistent ones ratified out by hand The
empty cones are then removed from the ground
aud the seeds gathered in baskets Large
quantities Of pine nuts are thus collected and
places
the rocks for use during the wear. They are
said 10 remain fresh and edible for several
years If properly stored.
ROASTED.
To prepare them Tor food, the nuts are pu.
into basket with some live cos,ls aud shaken
or stirred until thoroughly roasted. In this
condition pine NUT are sold in the markets %
California and other western states. Just like
peanuts in the east. The roasted seeds after
removing them from their thin shells NAV be
munched entire or ground in a wooden mortar
with stone restle and eaten dry made into
a soup. The seeds of many other plant- indeed
OF almost all that are not poisonous are also
Used. All of then are roasted. With the harder
ones the pulveriling IL accomplished by
grinding them between two stones. The COM
mon sand grass of tbe desert produces an
abundance of seed aud Is largely employed
In gathering IL the squaw carries in one hand
a small basket and in the other a paddle made
of wickerwork, somewhat resembling a tennis
racket With this she beats the grass seed
punches over the basket. Finally the seeds are
ground. the chat being winnowed or sifted out
CACTUS SEEDS.
large. round-headed cactus, known a the
devils pincushion," grows in rocky soil
throughout the desert. The seeds are well
protected among the spines and inclosed in
white woolly capsules These are pried out
with sticks. broken open and emptied Of the
seeds. This cactus is specially rerviceable 70
the Indians. as its seeds remain fresh and
edible until spring, when most other sources
OF supply have failed. The seeds Of the Joint
pine are roasted and ground and the flour
is made into n bitter bread. Berries
and such fruits are rare in the desert.
and only is known TO be edible
II looks like minute tomato and is dried for
making into a mush or soup. which does noe
require cooking. Prlckly pears Of one species
furnish food also. In early summer the new
joints, buds, blossoms and immature fruit
are swollen with sweet sap. They are broken
off with clubs and collected in large baskets.
The barbed prickles removed and the frag-
ments are dried in the sun. Thus prepared
they will keep indefinitely and are made ready
for eating BY boiling or by roasting in hole in
the ground lined with stones.
Common reeds furnish what IL known -
sugar In June the plants are cut and dried
IN the sun, after which they ground and the
starchy parts are separated by sitting. The
moist, sticky -four thus obtained il nodded BY
the hands into thick gum-ike mass. IL 10
then set near fire and roasted until il swells
and browns slightly. and this taffy like state
it is eaten. These digger" Indians-for 10
the race thus commonly designated they be-
long-haye adopted the culinary utensils Of The
whites, from whom they get knives. spoons, tin
plates, iron kettles and -four sleeves. They
make baskets with wonderful skill. some a
which are used to hold liquids, their texture
being close that water will not leak
through them. The bowl employed TO con-
tain soup often serves hat between meals
The men have guns for hunting. but they still
utilize the bow and arrow for shooting small
game. They are excellent marksmen with
these primitive weapons. and time being OF
little value TO them, they lie in wait
for their prey and creep 80 close 20 IL that
this method OF hunting is very ef-
fectiye. Their bows are made from the
juniper tree OF the desert For this
purpose the Indian prefers piece Of wood
from a tree that has died and seasoned while
standing. At low attitudes on these desert moup-
tains moist rot OF dead wood never occurs and
a mature tree subjected to the intensely dry
heat Of the region lie in perfect condition for
such use.
HE RnEGHT HALE Cnxu