Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-10
DESERT BILL O? FARE
SOURCES FROM WHICH THE IN
DIAN SUPPLIES HIS LARDER.
From the Los Angeles Times.

From the Los Angeles Times.
In the Indian country of the west a grim
spector stands with bony fingers ever
stretching out toward the inhabitants of
the region. This grisly phantom is the
form of hunger, which. with his compan-
ion, thirst, holds dominion over the land.
The country is vast and roomy. but one
wonders what can be found therein TO sus-
tain life.
About some of the Indian villages are to
be seen small patches of maize or a few tiny
melon patches. but these cultivated areas
are of little account as compared with the
number of persons to be fed. These, too
are exceptions, rather than the rule, ma
jority of the towns having no such Guilt
waited fields.
In various parts of the arid region. which
shelters so great portion of our barbarian
population, is found a tree remarkable for
certain properties The botanical name of
this plant is Prosopis julifiora. II is popu-
larry known as the algaroba or honey mes
quite. This tree thrives with little mois-
height of twenty or forty feet, affords shell
ter from the wind and sun, and best of all
In the sight of the hungry natives it yields
abundant crops of fruit known mesquite
beans. The slim green pods hang in clus-
tiers from the tips of the boughs often
bending the branches nearly to breaking,
so abundant 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 pulverized when wanted for food
In wooden or stone mortars, and the meal
thus formed is soaked in water and eaten
without further preparation or 1t is baked
into sort of unleavened bread. 1t Is the
principal and favorite food of several
tribes.
The screw bean Is another food product.
less plentiful, but even more highly priced,
because of It's sugary qualities This fruit
is often eaten as pluched from the tree. 1t
ripens the latter part of June or in July,
little later than the mesquite bean.
The Chamish.
In some of the mountain sections the
Prunus Andersonii chamish is found in
abundance The pits of this fruit are pound
ed 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 q favorite with the Indians,
for the yellow pods of the plant, when pull
verified, serve as spice TO render some OF
the otherwise insipid dishes palatable.
The roots of the cancer root are roasted
over live Goals, and when young, a succu-
lent and nourishing are prime favorites
with the red epicureans.
Flowers of the yucca and agave are boil
ed, dried and preserved. to be eaten as oc-
casion requires. The young shoots
crowns of these plants are also roasted and
eaten. Seeds of the Artemsia tridentata.
or NORWOOD and the Atriplex lentiforms
are pulverized and eaten.
The apple or berry OF the Arctostaphylos
glauca, or manzanita, Is another food OBJ
tanned by the mountain jewellers. This u