Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-30
HERBS AT THE MARKET.
Plants Gathered by COlored People
for All Sorts of Ailments,

RAMS Gnthered by COlOred People
for All Sorts of Ailments.
The old colored woman was almost
asleep. But now and then her pipe gave
signs that she was yet conscious and ready
to become wakeful Immediately at the ap-
proach Of a customer. Her stall, which
consisted of plank laid across two boxes
on the sunny side of the market house,
bore varied assortment of vegetable
merchandise, with dozen or two Of eggs
in dilapidated basket. The day was raw,
and close by her feet a small fire was
burning brightly in a four-quart tin pail
OF unquestionable antiquity, the fuel con-
sisting Of broken bits Of barrel hoops and
slaves.
"Yassir.' she said, blinking at The Star
reporter. Dis am de time OBJ de var
when de cullud folks collect YARDS an
plants fer medicines. Oar is mo- sale fer
EN- in de spring time dan at any udder
season. but we keep 'em all de var round
FER people as wants 'em. Dey is just as
good dried as dey is fresh.
Oars SaSSafraS. It's good TO- de blood.
P'raps you git up in de mornin' about dis
time OBJ de var an you feel all swolled up.
Dat means yo' blood's too thick. Sassafras
teau FIX dat all right. only yo' mustn't
amt any good above de ground. Yo' must
dig down fer de root.
"Anuddcr valuable medicine am de May
apple root. It's equal to anything ever I
knew fer trouble wild de stummick. De
plant grows in low places in de woods.
De leaves am fer, all worr just like ON
berellas, wild stalks like CINDERELLA handles.
Here am wild cherry bark. 1t am de
scraped off. Oars muffin like it fer colds
an to glib pusson an appetite. Yo' just
put few pieces OBJ 1t into a bottle OBJ
good Hquor-whsky. OBJ co'se. I mean-an'
k wi M orI cfvv1 01@
But dar amt no medicine dat beats cat
nip. specially fer an infant baby. Yo'
take little baby OATS just born, an de
rust ting yo' wanter glib it, afo' it has a
sweetenln' yo' put in. but not too much.
It's fust-rate fer cramps, too.
+ Sassyparilla am de fav'rite spring tonic,
to be sure. Fer coughs yo had better
see, sab. look sumpin' like as If dey was
made of flannel. Folks make tea wild 'em.
re mullen 1t grows wild. an SO does de
nre everlastin',' which am also fust-rate
fer colds. Life everlastin' am bush, COW
cred wild whitish flowers.
oar am anything as good as May
apple root fer de stummick it am de root
OBJ de gall.o'-earth plant. Yo' can tell de
pud It has at dis season OBJ de var. De
bes' plan am to boil de root wild de root
CD de Mayapple. Dat am combination
dat no case OBJ dyspeps' can resis'.
1t am an awful good ting fer de cul-
lud folks dat desc plants grows wild, SOS
to save doctorin'. An ole lady OBJ my
quaintance kin cure anything from fits to
measles wild muffin but a few yarbs It's
all IN de know how. It's not only de black
people dat buys YARDS an udder medicine
plants. Oars lots O. white folks dat uses
en- Oh, dey's powerful good
AT dis season OBJ de var de cullud ladies
ABOUT de market gadder wild flowers fer
to sell. an just now de spring veg-tubbles
am comm in. Here am watercress, dat
grows wild in de cornfields on de lowlands.
In de summer 1t has yaller flower and de
seeos wat are scattered fetch up de crap in
de next spring. So 1t costs muffin but de
trouble OBJ gadderin' it. Oar am a sale
Just now fer turnip salad-turnip greens,
DAT Is. Yo' boil dem wild meat like cab
ad; 'Scuse me. but dar's lady dat wants
bunch OBJ onions"