The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-28
TEAS OF THE FOREST.



Philadelphia Record.
Pfcnickers and those who 60 a-camping
these summer days and forget to take
their tea caddies along may find In the
woods many a substitute for the fragrant
bohea, wherewith to brew a steaming cup
to add cheer to cold luncheon Indeed. IL
has not been very long since Chinese
tea was luxury not easily afforded in the
remoter rural districts of our country and
recourse was had habitually to native herbs
or shrubs of the forest for makeshifts
Then, too, in the stormy days preceding the
American Revolution, when the colonists
were in a turmoil over the stamp taxes
levied by the mother country, 1t was con-
sidered unDatriotic to drink tea that had
paid tribute to the government, and the
so-called Liberty tea was the popular drink.
This, no doubt, was made from variety
of herbs, but certainly from the four-leaved
loosetrife, a plant that is abundant in al
most every woodland. 1t grows a foot or
two high and may be recognized by its
simple upright stem upon which the leaves
are set in whorls of four or sometimes
five, the yellow starlike flowers being pro
duced in June on long slender stalks from
near the base of the leaves.
During the Revolution the native leaves
most extensively used for tea were prob
ably those of the so-called New Jersey tea
"a low bush that grows everywhere in dry
woodlands and bears in June and July a
profusion of delicate white bloom. An in
fusion of the leaves b0ils a clear amber
color, and in looks is as attractive real
tea; but the taste, though stringent, is
by no means lively. Some effort has been
made within comparatively recent years TO
revive the use OF this plant as a substi-
tute for tea commercial scale. The
leaves are said to contain nearly 10 per
cent. Of tannin. Hemlock leaves and those
of the arbor vitae have also played a
part in the making OF rustic tea. The
arbor vitae is tree that grows wild in
great abundance in northern woods. and
the old-time Maine 1umberman used fire.
Quently to resort to its leaves for tea
when other heritage failed them for the
purpose. 1t was thought to be especially
invigorating, as witness the ancient coup
let:
"a quart of arbor vitae
To make him strong and mighty"
The little plant whose scarlet berries
about the size of peas are sold under the
our city streets, is another herb which
was long ago turned to use for tea. whence
Pennsylvania New EngIanders for some
unknown reason call il checkerberry. The
foliage is very aromatic and people who are
have sometimes employed its flavor in
real tea 1t is near of kin and similar in
taste to the creeping snowberry, small,
delicate vine. abundant in great Dogs and
messy woods OF the North and of the Allie
gheny region, and which is also approved
by mountain palates as a good stock for
tea.
Thoreau. in THE Maine Woods" tells OF
his Indian guide bringing il into camp one
night and recommending IL as the best OF
all plants for tea. 1T had a slight check
erberry favor he records. "and we both
agreed that IL was really better than the
black tea we had brought. We thought ii
a good discovery, and that IL might well be
dried and sold in the shops" Better known
tea plant than the snowberry is the
Labrador tea, or Ledum latifolium of bot
anists, which grows in cold boys and noun
| tain woods from Pennsylvania northward
The leaves, which emit a slight, not un-
pleasant fragrance when bruised. are tough
| and leathery, and densely clothed under
meath with rusty brown wool STEPPED
| they give wild, gamy sort OF taste TO hot
| water, and the resultant drink suggests a
| poor grade OF black tea.
| Sweet fern. which is so abundant a growth
| everywhere on sterile hills and by noun.
| tain roadsides Is another famous tea plant
being often known as mountain tea. Dur