The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-08-05
FLOUR FROM AcoRNs.
California Discovers Valuable Process to
Conserve Tons of Nuts.

| NVhSOiNc LUIS VI NUTS.
Behold the humble acorn four.et !"
is the word that has been announced
throughout our country by Mrs. Nellie
Taylor, an industrious ranch woman, liv-
ing in Plymouth, Cal, in the foothills of
the Sierra Nevadas, who has discovered
new use for the lowly nut.
"The Indians of the hills really taught
me-" Mrs. Taylor says. q have learned
many things since living among them.
They saved our forefathers from famine
in days past by teaching them the use of
forest foods. Who knows but that the
use OF the acorn as -four may keep us
from famine when this war causes a
more serious shortage Of foodstuffsY
When | first came to the coast" she
continues, Il found that these print.
tive people were mixing sort of cake.
or pattle, out of acorn meal, which thew
made by pounding the fruit with a pes
tie and mortar grind my -four in two
small mills. They tell me that two
grain sacks of acorn will last an Indian
a year. When the economy call came I
began to wonder why acorn -four
wouldn't be wholesome food for the
white man. And then began my exper-
iments.
AN Indian who buried his father here
the other day, who at the time of his
death was something more than 100, said
to me: You make acorn -four? Heap
good; make big Indian no get cold; no
get sick. Eat white man breadth get
sick; no good
There is no question about the food
value OF the product, but the unhappy
part of it is that all acorns contain a
characteristic bitterness that must be
taken out. The Indians accomplish this
by covering the meal with cedar leaves
and pouring warm water over IL, but
this takes several washings have done
some work in a chemists laboratory nv.
self, and with the help Of Robert Strand,
young chemist, who was interested in
my work, use a preparation of soda,
which, believe, when improved, will
eventually work the charm. The -four
now make is superior, in my estima-
ton, TO wheat -four for the making of
cake. II is so light and soft. With
mixture Of forty per cent white -four, I
have prepared fruit cakes that the food
authorities of California, and even the
most unbelieving, pronounce as good as
any they ever ate"
Mrs. Taylor has studied much about
the acorn since she became interested
in 1t as food product. As far back as
Bible times the acorn was used for
food One translation of the word cal.
lah,' used so much in connection with
the Hebrew, is coax" In other places
It is spoken of as "cornder," or seed.
The Bible speaks of the ''cornder" being
made into bread that tasted like the
green olive
In every great war acorns were used
when there was famine. This was
rue Of our Revolutionary and Civil
vars. The Germans to-day are making
extensive use of them for making a cof-
zee substitute. Mrs Taylor, who pre-
,ares seven different kinds of coffee"
rom the acorn, says the drinks are pal
table and refreshing and that the In
lians and many of the white residents
# her section are using the nut in this
way.
Stockmen throughout the western
tates are paying 81 sack for aeorns as
eed for stock. They say the acorn is
text to corn in food value, and Mrs.
Taylor points with pride to her own
at, glossy hogs as an example In.
ians have long told what sweet veni-
on acorns produce.
Letters come to me every day." Mrs
'aylor says, from poor people in see
ions where acorns grow abundantly,
nd go to waste by tons, begging for
ny recipe. To be able to 60 out and
4 an hour or two pick up enough of the
uts to make forty or fifty pounds of
our will mean everything to these peo-
lie who are unable TO buy white -four at
he present price. 1t is for the sake Of
hose who are so in need that | am
-orking day and night to finish my ex-
eminent.
"When I am satisfied that I can no
lrther improve upon my recipe" Mrs.
aylor adds, II win give it to the public,
+ to Uncle Sam for his boys" Kansas
ity Star.