The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1904-09-08
SUBSTITUTES FoR TEA
Leaves Found Ia the American Woods
that Have Served Well.

Leaves Found Ia the American WOODS
that Have Served Well.
Many substitutes for tea can be
found in any ordinary woods, says the
Washington Star. The idea is not
new one, for many country folks made
use Of the substitutes In the days
when the luxury Of Chinese tea was
not 90 easily afforded as now. Befort /
the Revolution, when the coloiis,s
were in a turmoil over the staDIp
taxes, 1t was considered unpatriotle
to drink tea that had paid tribute 10
the government, and the so-called lib
erty tea was the popular drink.
The four-leaved loose strife was,
no doubt, the herb from which this
Sewerage was made, possibly with the
aid Of various other herbs. This plant
grows foot or two high and may be
recognized by its simple. upright
stem, upon which the leaves are set
in whorls of four or five, the yellow
starlike flowers being produced on
long, slender stocks from near the
base of the leaves. 1t Is common to
almost every woodland. The leaves
Of the New Jersey tea, low bush
which grows everywhere in dry wood.
lands, and bears In June and July a
profusion Of delicate white blooms,
was also extensively used during the
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.
The leaves are said to contain about
10 per cent Of tannin. Hemlock leaves
and those Of the arbor vitae have
played an important part in the max
ing Of rustic tea. The arbor vitae Is
a tree that grows wild In great abun-
dance in northern woods. and the
Old-time Maine lumbermen used fire.
quently to resort to its leaves for tea
when other herbage failed them for
the purpose. 1t was thought to be
very invigorating.
The leaves of the wintergreen,
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 spiclness in their drink have some
times added its favor to real tea.
1t is near of kin and similar In taste
to the creeping snowberry, small,
delicate vine, abundant in the great
bogs and mossy woods Of the north
and Allegheny regions, and this Is
also approved by mountain palates as
a substitute for tea. Thoreau, in "The
Maine Woods" tells Of his Indian
guide bringing 1t into camp one night
and recommending 1t as the best Of all
substitutes for tea. ut has a slight
checkerberry flavor" he records, land
we both agree that 1t was better than
the black tea we had brought. We
thought 1t a discovery and that 1t
might be dried and sold in the shops"
Better known as tea plant is the
Labrador tea, or the iedum latifolia Of
the botanists, which grows In cold
bogs and mountain woods from Penn
sylvanla northward. The leaves,
which emit a slight, not unpleasant
fragrance when bruised, are tough
and leathery and covered with a rusty
brown wool. Stepped, they give a
wild, gamy flavor to hot water, and
the drink resulting suggests a pooi
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
az "mountain tea" In the War OF
the Rebellion its use for tea was par
tIcularly 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 flowery Pekoe.
The foliage and flowers Of all the
golden rods are imbued with an
astringent principle and are moderate
ly stimulant, 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 ydountaln tea, pos
sesses, in addition, the flavor Of licor-
, ice. Drunk piping hot in the wilder
ness It makes 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 licorict
perfume which the leaves give out
) when rubbed II 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 tea
the popular beverage 1t Is.