The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1905-08-04
DESERT BILL OF FARE.
eouRcEs FROM WHICH THE IN
DIAN SUPPLIES HIS LARDER.

The crisIy Phantom Hunger, With
His Companion, Thirst, Holds Do
minion Over the Land, Vet the
Natives Manage to Find Food OF
| Sort.
In the Indian country of the West
o grim spectre stands with bony nm
gers ever stretching out toward the
inhabitants of the region. This girls
ly phantom is the form OF hunger,
which with his companion, thirst,
holds dominion over the land. The
country is vast and roomy, but one
wonders what can be found therein
to sustain life.
About some of the Indian villages
are to be seen small patches OF maize
or few tiny melon patches, but
these cultivated areas are of little
account as compared with the num-
Der of persons to be fed. These, too,
are exceptions, rather than the rule,
a majority of the towns having no
such cultivated fields.
In various parts of the arid region,
which shelters SO great portion OF
our barbarian population, is found
tree remarkable for certain proper
ties. The botanical name of this
plant is PROPOSES julifofa. 1t is pop
ularly known as the lagaroba, or
honey mesquite. This tree thrives
with little moisture, grows with
thick, bushy top, to height of TWEEN
ty TO forty feet, affords shelter from
the wind and sun, and best of all In
the sight of the hungry natives, 1t
yields abundant crops of fruit known
as mequite beans. The slim green
pods hang in clusters from the tips
of the boughs, often bending the
branches nearly to breaking, so abun-
dant do they grow. The pods, which
are six or seven inches long, are
pulpy, juicy. fairly palatable and
nourishing.
These beans are gathered, dried
and stored in the peculiar granaries
of the Indians-huge baskets holding
several bushels each-and are pulver-
tied when wanted for food in wooden
or stone mortars, and the meal thus
formed is soaked in water and eaten
without further preparation, or it is
baked into sort Of unleavened
bread. 1t is the principal and favor
tie food of several tribes.
The screw bean is another fool
product, less plentiful, but even more
highly priced, because of it's sugary
qualities. This fruit Is often eaten
as plucked from the tree. 1t ripeus
the latter part of June or in July, a
little later than the mesquite bean.
In some of the mountain sections
the Prunus Andersonii or chamish,
is found in abundance. The pits of
this fruit are pounded in mortars.
and the meal is then eaten. There
are many varieties of the cactus fruit
which is utilized for food, the fruit
OF the Opuntia tuna, or prickly pear,
being a notable example.
The dead loco weed" the pest of
the cattlemen, is favorite with the
Indians, for the yellow pods of the
plant. when pulverized, serve as spice
to render some of the otherwise IN
sipid dishes palatable.
The roots of the cancer root are
roasted over live Goals. and when
young, succulent and nourishing, are
prime favorites with the red epicure-
ans.
Flowers of the yucca and agave are
boiled, dried and preserved. to be
eaten as occasion requires. The
young shoots or crowns of these
plants are also roasted and eaten.
Seeds of the Artenisia tridentata, or
NORWOOD, and the Atriplex lenti-
formis are pulverized and eaten.
The apple or berry of the Arctosta-
phy1os glauca, or manzanita, is am
other food obtained by the mountain
dweliers. This is eaten as, plucked,
and is also dried and preserved for
future use. Pine nuts form a very
important item of food with many of
the tribes in the wooded section of
the country, and acorns furnish other
tribes with large part of their liy-
ing.
There are other herbs which are
utilized by the Indians as food. In
deed, there are few plants which are
not capable of being rendered edible
in some manner. There are, how
ever, other things besides plants
which are made to satisfy the pangs
of hunger. In the animal kingdom
are a number of varieties of crea-
lures, not classed in the game list of
the white man, which minister to the
appetites and needs of the red man.
There are in the Southwest, par
ticularly in California, bodies of BIT
ter. poisonous waters known as bo-
racic lakes. Owens Lake, twenty
miles long. is of this class. 1t is a
veritable Dead Sea, and, like the sea
of that name and its counterpart, the
Great Salt Lake of Utah, its heavy.
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