Omaha daily bee., 1917-05-15
BY GARRETT P. SERVISS.

In view of possible food shortage
all over the world, it is interesting
to know that attention has recently
been directed to lichens as food. In
Germany it has been proposed to util-
izc reindeer moss for animal fodder
and Iceland moss for bread-mak-
ing. Both of these forms of lichen
have long been known as edible va
rieties. Reindeer moss is, indeed, a
principal source Of food for the rein
deer, caribou and other animals in
northern regions of both the new and
the old world. Even in the winter
time they feed upon this moss"
brushing away the snow to obtain it.
Laplanders feed their domesticated
reindeer upon it. .
Iceland moss, on the other hand,
often constitutes practically the only
food of the poor in Iceland, where it
is made into a kind of flour and baked
into cakes, or boiled like dumplings
and eaten with milk. Even reindeer
moss has been used for human food
in times of scarcity. In Sweden it
was formerly ground into flour and
used for bread, and also for the pro-
duction OF sugar.
The food value OF reindeer moss
has been estimated by DR.. Jacob as
three times greater than that of the
potato. Nevertheless, he recommends
Iceland moss for bread making and
reindeer moss for fodder. Iceland
moss was, before the introduction Of
gelatine, imported in considerable
quantities into temperate climes, and
employed in making jellies. In Ice
land it covers wide tracts of land and
grows to a height OF from one tc
three or even four inches.
But it must not be supposed that
these lichens are confined to Arctic Oh
sub-Arctic regions. Prof. A. A, Han
sen of Pennsylvania State college
says that he has seen great masses o.
reindeer moss growing along the
shores of Lake Superior, and that ii
Minnesota patches covering an acre
or more are not infrequent 1t prob
ably exists or could be cultivated il
other parts of the United States
Waste lands, Prof. Harsen suggests
might be utilized for this purpose. A.
to other species of lichsn, they are tc
be found literally all over the world
in the warmest as we'll as the coldes
climates, in valleys, on the seashore
and at the greatest mountain eleva
tons, even high above the snow line
Their geographical range, says TIN
Encyclopedia Britannica. is more ex
tended than that of any other class o
plants. In addition to Iceland mos
and reindeer moss several other spe
cies are edible, such as the "tripe d
roche" of northern Canada. and tn
} mama lichen" found from Algier
/ through northern Africa and western
, Asia as fac as Tartary. This some
. times appears as 'manna rain" Bein
easily deta ched from high rocks by
strong wind when it is in a dry state
/. it is blown to considerable distance
5 falling in the form of rough grain:
which are gathered, cooked an
eaten.
This is believed to be the historic1
basis of the story OF the Bible. c
the mama miraculously furnished t
/ children OF ISRAEL in the wilderness 6
), Sinai In Japan, also, there is an ed
: BILE lichen growing in the mountain
e and utilized for food.
a Several species of lichens furnis
$ medicinal extracts, and necessit
might develop other edible varietie
D 1t would seem as if we have hilbert
been remiss in utilizing ali the poss
bic sources of food that the earth o
fers us. What might not be accom-
= plished by ar intensive raining of til
7 digestive powers? Why should mai
# with his superior brain, perish OF sta
n walton in the midst OF a rich meade
e where a morse, a COW or shee
grow fat?
If ! were privileged to tray'