The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1904-10-22

Revolution. An infusion OF the leaves
boils bright amber color, and in
looks is as attractive as the real bev-
erage, but the taste, though astrin-
gent, is by no means lively.
Some effort has been recently made
In commercial circles to revive the use
of this plant as substitute for tea.
Che leaves are said to contain about
10 per cent Of tannin. He1nlock leaves
and those Of the arbor vitae have
played an important part in the max
ing Of rustic tea. The arbor vitae is
tree that grows wild in great abun-
dance in northern woods, and the
eld-ime Maine lumbermen used fire.
quently to resort to its leaves for tea
when other heritage failed them for
the purpose. It was thought to be
very invigorating. .t' -'
The leaves Of the wintergreen, a
small plant, whose bright red berries,
about the size Of peas, are sold ON the
streets under the name of teaberry.
have long been used for tea. From
this 1t takes the name by which 1t Is
known in Pennsylvania. New Eng
landers for some unknown reason call
1t checkerberry. The foliage is very
aromatic, and people who like a dash
of spiciness in their drink have some
times added It's flavor to real tea.
1t is near of kin and similar in taste
to the creeping snowberry, a small,
delicate vine, abundant in the great
boys and messy woods Of the north
and Allegheny regions, and this is
also approved by mountain palates as
substitute for tea. Thoreau, in 1.-THE
Maine Woods" tells of his Indian
guide bringing it into camp one night
and recommending 1t as the best of all
substitutes for tea. ut has a slight
checkerberry favor" he records, land
we both agree that it was better than
the black tea we had brought We
thought 1t q discovery and that it
might be dried and sold in the shops"
Better known as a tea plant Is the
Labrador tea, or the ledum latifolia of
the botanists, which grows in cold
boys and mountain woods from Penn
| sylvania northward. The leaves,
which emit slight, not unpleasant
fragrance when bruised, are tough
and leathery and covered with a rusty
brown wool. STEPPED, they give
wild, gamy favor to hot water, and
the drink resulting suggests a poor
grade Of black tea.
Sweet fern, which is such an abun-
dant growth everywhere on sterile
hillside and by mountain roads, is an
other famous tea plant often known
as mountain tea" In the War Of
the Rebellion its use for tea was par
tlcularly prevalent in the Southern
States, and many a Southern lady who
was reared in luxury was reduced to
drinking this poor substitute for ner
favorite Oolong or howery Pekoe.
The foliage and flowers of all the
golden rods are imbued with an
astringent principle and are moderate
ly stlmulant, so that their suitability
for the manufacture Of domestic tea
was recognized by the American col
onists as long ago as when George
III. was king over them. One species,
the fragrant-leaved golden rod, known
sometimes as Blue Mountain tea, pos
sesses, In addition, the favor of licor
ice. Drunk piping hot In the wilder
ness 1t makes a pleasant feature in
the campers limited menu. This es-
pecial kind Of golden rod begins to
bloom quite early in the summer and
is easy of recognition, even by the
non-botanical, because Of the Ncorice
perfume which the leaves give out
when rubbed. 1t Is a very common
species in the pine barrens Of Jersey.
The astringent quality, in greater or
less degree, is possessed by nearly all
these plants, They also contain con-
siderable tannic acid in their makeup.
These two qualities go far to make lea
the popular beverage it Is.