San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-08-02
SOME STRANGE SEEDS.
To Be Exhibited at the Cotton
States Fair.
An Interesting Collection Gathered from
All Parts of the Globe by the Agri-
cultural Department OF the
Exposition.

Queer seeds will be an interesting
feature Of the exhibit of the departs
ment of agriculture at the Atlanta ex-
position. Among those shown will be
various kinds employed for food by the
Indians of North America. The latter
eat the seeds of certain cacti, which are
parched, pulverized and made into a
palatable Cruel. Their fondness for
the seeds of some pines is well known,
these ''pinions" being to them what
sugar plums are to white people. Sun
flower seeds, too, they parch, grind and
make into cakes, which are said to be
equal to corn bread. From the same
seeds they get oil for amounting their
bodies.
Seeds of many kinds, according to the
Washington Star, have been found in
the ruins of the ancient cliff jewellers
of Utah, the evidence being satisfac-
tory that they were used for food,
Among these may be mentioned the
common garden bean, which is also dis
covered in mounds in Arizona.
Though of European origin, this veg
etable was cultivated by the aborigines
of this country at very early date.
The cliff jewellers used to eat the seeds
of the ordinary ''pigweed." Indians
generally to this day consume the
seeds of many species of grasses, MAX
ing bread and mush from them. Along
the rivers in Colorado and Arizona
grass seeds are collected in great
quantities for grinding into -four.
Grape seeds, gourd seeds and acorns
are likewise employed.
The exhibit described will include
collection of poisonous seeds, such as
the famous Calabar bean, which is said
to be worse than strychnine. The bean
is used by the natives for an ordeal. If
a person is suspected of crime he is
compelled to eat one, being judged to
be guilty in case of death, which is al
most inevitable. Another interesting
seed, employed for like purpose, is
that of the ''ordeal tree" of Madagas-
car. 1t is said to be the most deadly of
all vegetable products.
One of the seeds, about the size of an
almond, will kill twenty men. The
local name of the plant is ''tanghinia."
Yet another seed, alleged to be poison
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 globosa,"
is powdered and sprinlSled on meat in
the neighborhood of Cape Colony for
the purpose of poisoning hyenas. 1t is
popularity supposed that horse chest
nuts are very unwholesome. Neyerthe-
less, in Turkey they are roasted for
coffee, fermented for liquor and utilized
for horse medicine. In India there is
kind of seed that varies SO little in
respect to size as to be used for a
weight standard. 1t is called the ret
IT," 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 adulterapts of coffee will
be shown; also seeds used for the nlumi-
mating oil they contain, for medicines,
etc. An interesting seed is the betel
nut, which is chewed, having a
narcotic effect. Possessing wonderful
properties as a stimulant is the famous
kola nut of Africa. From Guatemala
comes the candle nut, used for lighting.
The main entrance of the department
of agriculture is approached through
an avenue of :'ginko" trees, imported
from Japan, where their seeds are
highly esteemed. But these trees do
not fruit in this country, 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 OBJ
tain seeds for planting that are as big
and plump as possible; for such seeds
terminate more quickly than smaller
ones, and the plants produced from
them get better start.