Evening star., 1895-06-08
SEEDS FOR THE BIG SHOW.

Exhibit of Out-Of-the-Way Varieties
TO BE Sent TO Atlanta.
Queer seeds will be interesting feature
OF the exhibit of the Department of Agri-
culture at the Atlanta exposition. Among
those shown will be various kinds en-
ployed for food by the Indians of North
America. The latter eat the seeds of GER
tain cacti, which are parched, pulverized
and made into palatable Cruel Their
fondneSS fer the seeds of some pines is well
known, these ''pinions" being to them what
sugar plums are to white people. Sun
mower seeds, too, they parch, grind and
make into cakes, which said to be equal
to corn bread. From the same seeds they
get oil for amounting their bodies.
Seeds of many kinds have been found in
the ruins of the ancient cliff dwellers of
Utah, the evidence being satisfactory that
they We're used for food Among these may
be mentioned the common garden bean,
which is also discovered in mounds in Ari-
zona. Though of European origin, this veg
etable was cultivated by the aborginas of
thlS country at very early date The
cliI dWellers used to eat the seeds of the
ordinary 'pigweed." Indians generally to
this day consume the seeds of many spe-
cfes of grasses making bread and mush
from them. Along the rivers in Colorado
and Arizona grass seeds collected in
great quantities for grinding into four
Grape seeds, gourd seeds and acorns are
likewise employed.
The exhibit described will include a col
lection of poisonous seeds, such as the IA
nous Calabar bean, which is said to be
worse than strychnine. This bean is used
by the natives for an ordeal. II a person
is suspected of crime he is compelled to
eat one, being judged to be guilty in case
of death, which is almost inevitable. An
other Interesting seed. employed for a like
purpose, is that of the ordeal tree' of
Madagascar. 1t is said to be the most
deadly of all vegetable products One of
these seeds. about the size of an almond
viii kill twenty men, The local name of
Z fheaD ny tp Wit,
alleged to be poisonous, is that of the COM
mon cookie, which. finding its way INTO
wheat fields, poisons the bread made from
the wheat. 1t is the bane OF millers in the
northwest.
Another kind of seed, known to science as
the "hyaenanche glohosa," is powdered and
sprinkled on meat in the neighborhood of
cape Colony, for the purpose of poisoning
hyenas. 1t is popularity supposed that
horse chestnuts very unwholesome
Nevertheless in Turkey they are roasted
for coffee, fermented for liquor and utilized
for horse medicine. In India there is a
kind of seed that varies so little in respect
to size as to be used for weight standard
1t is called the ''retti" and weighs one
grain. From its name is derived the word
carat, which has come into occidental
use.
A series of seeds employed as .substi-
tutes for or adulterants of coffee will be
shown; also seeds used for the illumina ting
oil they contain. for medicines, etc An in
terestinS seed is the betel nut. which is
cheWed, having narcotic effect. Possess
ing wonderful properties a stimulant is
the famous kola nut of Africa. From Qua
temala comes the candle nut, used for light
ing The main entrance Of the Department
of Agriculture is approached through an
avenue OF ginko' trees, imported from ia
pan, where their seeds are highly esteemed
But these trees do not fruit in this coun-
try, save in rare instances
/ A special display will be made of seeds
arranged according to their species in such
a manner as to show the extent to which
seeds in general are apt to vary in point of
size 1t is very desirable that farmers
should obtain seeds for planting that are
as big and plump as possible: for such
seeds germnate more quickly than smaller
ones. and the plants produced from them
get a better start.