Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1896-05-22

| fieshy cactusss of our southwestern arid
region might be turned to account as
| table vegetables. Some of them con-
tain much water and have saved many
travellers from the thirst death. One kind
very abundant in the Mohave desert re-
| gion Is gathered in large quantities by
| the Indians, dried and eventually boiled.
| Kale-a species of cabbage that does not
| fern q head-is common market pot
| herb. 1t is sometimes called German
green's" Like cabbage. it requires thor
| ough cooking. and Is not remarkably di-
| gestibfe. The young leaves Of the every
| day turnip. either green or blanched, are
frequently used as pot herb, especially
in the south. Among country people the
marsh marigold'' or ''cowslip' is a IA
yorite pot herb. This plant is a native of
| the northern United States and British
America. extending from New England
| northwestward to Alaska. 1t grows in
cold swamps and wet meadows, shooting
up in the spring through the shallow
\ water. 1t is gathered when in the bud
or just as the flowers are beginning to
open.
The common garden spinach, cultivated
| States. may be considered the typical pot
| herb of both continents. The plant, which
was unknown to the Greeks and Romans,
| is believed to have originated in Persia
and to have been carried both westward
and eastward ultimately finding its way
| to China, as we'll as to America. Several
varieties of spinach are known in Guilt
vation-for example, prickly seeded spin
| ach, Flanders spinach and lettuce-leaved
spinach. The New Zealand spinach,
which originated in that country, was
| brought to Europe by Captain Cook in
his voyage around the world. Another
common European pot herb, though by
no means so important as spinach, is
"charlock." 1t occurs as a weed across
| the northern part of the United States,
| and Is troublesome in the wheat growing
regions. 1t is a near relative of the black
mustard, but may be distinguished by its
| pod, one to two inches long. In this
country it is not utilized at all, and it is
reputed to be poisonous.
ChicOry.
Chicory, the roasted root of which is
| used as an adulterant of coffee, occurs
az weed in many parts of the United
| States. 1t Is confined principally to the
| vicinity of cities and towns, having not
yet become generally diffused. In late
| summer and autumn 1t bears large num-
| bers of blue flower heads, about an inch
4 in diameter and similar in shape to those
of the dandelion, which open in the early
| morning and close after few hours ex-
| posture to the sun. During the first year
1t sends up no stem, but its leaves grow
| in a rosette on the ground, closely re-
| sembling those of the dandelion. In the
4 orri,1e nf fhA fha ,11a haa nc
larger tuft of these leaves, which is
! soon followed by the Towering stem. The
root leaves in their young state are the
| parts used as a pot herb. They contain
bitter principle and require the same
| process of cooking as the dandelions.
| Two species of DOCK the broad leaved
| and the curled, are common weeds in
pastures and fields. Their root leaves in
| spring are often used as pot herb, some
| times mixed with dandelions Patience
| dock is widely cultivated in Europe as a
pot herb, and in America it is grown to
a small extent for the same purpose. Per-
| haps the commonest and most widely
| diffused of the weeds which might be
| used for human food is that known as
lambs quarters" 1t Is otherwise known
as ''goosefoot." In its young state, when
| six to eight inches high, it is tender and
succulent. 1t belongs to the same family
| as the beet and spinach. Water cress,
another valuable pot herb, is cultivated
to a considerable extent in the eastern
part of the United States. The plants
here enumerated do not by any means
| comprise all the species that might be
| used as pot herbs. They are selected by
| F.. V. Coville, the botanist of the depart
ment of agriculture, with a view to sug
| IN ha tn orr of
country certain plants growing in their
own region which are available for such
purposes 1t is believed that the common
nettle and milkweed might be utilized
| profitably. This is a subject on which
the people generally ought to be instruct
| ed, in order that they may not allow
| valuable foods to go to waste.
Great quantities of herbs are collected
annually for the manufacture of root
beer. They are put up dry in half-pound
| packages, mixed in proper proportions,
and sent all over the United States. They
| are obtained chiefly from North Caro-
| lina especially among the Black noun
| tains, where is the most wonderful re-
| gion in the world for medicinal plants.
| There they are gathered by Indians who
| 1--we on a reservation in that vicinity. and
| who find in this business a very remuner-
alive industry. They attach SuperStl-
| tious notions to the simples, and various
| quasi-religious ceremonies are observed
| incidentally to picking and digging them.
| They dry them and sell them in bulk to
| dealers in neighboring towns.
| The herbs, barks and roots thus col
| lected are sorted by skilled botanists, in
| order that one vegetable species may not
be mixed with another, and are put in
bales, sacks and barrels. The concerns
| engaged in this business send circulars
| t. apothecaries all over the United
| States quoting prices. The apothecaries
and wholesale dealers in drugs put up
| the smples in dry shape or make medi-
| cines out of them. Spikenard is a diuret-
| ic; sarsaparilla and wintergreen are sup
posed to purify the blood. The other
herbs, etc., have various beneficial eff
| fects on the system. New Hampshire
4 still furnishes most of the chockcherries
| while dandelions are largely cultivated
COR medicinal uses by tic Shakers at Leb-
anon. Though root beer Is considered
an agreeable beverage, 1t Is used partic-
ularly for spring medicine. 1t contains
all of the ingredients named, with the ad-
dition of hops and Jamaica ginger-the
| latter. for a stimulant. In fact, 1t is a
sort of shotgun prescription, warranted