Evening star., 1946-11-21
This and That
By Charles E. TracepeH.

"DERWOOD. Md.
Dear Sir:
Il was interested in your article on
the poke berry as am in all you write,
but was surprised that you did not speak
OF the delicious edible qualities of the
poke leaves, young and tender, when
they first come up in the early spring.
We consider them one of the very
best wild green's boiled with a small
piece Of bacon. Try 1t next spring!
VERY truly. M. B. B."
"a kk
This was an omission indeed, but one
can't remember everything.
Right on our shelf. as we wrote, was
Oliver Perry Medsger's fine book. Edible
Wild Plants" containing data assembled
over span of 80 years.
This book has been regarded as the
first complete handbook On Americas
wild menu, containing knowledge lost
to many. since pioneer days, and, alas,
often forgotten by those who know.
Poke root is probably more esteemed
in England today than in this country,
Its home. Phytolacca descandra, 1t Is
called officially, but it has host of COM
mon names.
Some of them are bears grape, poke
weed. garget. pigeon berry. red ink plant,
American spinach, stoke, crowberry, can
Ger root, American nightshade, pecan,
cokan, croakum Ca poor joke, herbe de
la laque, kermesbeere, etc.
Poke is good enough.
Herbalists regard it as one Of the most
important of indigenous American
plants.
They declare that the young shoots
make good substitute for asparagus!
There are many weeds" which may
be used as food, but modern person
should go very slow in using them, since
this is knowledge which most city folk
have forgotten, If they ever knew.
II you desire to experiment with weeds
as foods, and some of them are said to
be very fine, be sure to get Mr.. MedSger's
book, and even then the best plan is to
hunt up some wise person-such as our
good pondent--and get her help.
KAk X
BETHESDA, Md.
Dear Sir:
correspondent that some noises he heard
was the hooting Of a great horned owl,
and once you reported hearing one in
yUuI yd4u OI ItclSkiDUTllCOQ.
Il doubt Ii you once considered that
1t might have been barred owl, but the
fact remains. that the barred owl is our
most common owl in the Washington
area, and is more given to hooting all
year round than the great horned owl
"The barred owl would nest right in
your back yard, but the great horned owl
is bird of the wilderness.
''The barred owl also yeips and sounds
like cat.
'You were very fortunate to have the
great horned owl in your neighborhood,
If 1t was him, but am willing to bet
1t wasn't, just as am willing to bet that
you are wrong in most of the things you
say about birds of prey.
yours truly, s. 81
~ Il
We believe this correspondent is wrong
in his sweeping Indictment Of our knowl-
edge Of birds Of prey.
Let us quote wise man: II try to
please no one but myself, and should I
make mistake, that mistake is mine.
need no one to help me make mis-
take"
We actually saw great horned owl
in our neighborhood He swept in and
tried to catch bantam, but that wise
fowl hid under 9 porch.
The barred owl Is the more common
OF the two hereabouts. It is regarded as
a fairly common permanent resident,
whereas the great horned owl is rather
rare permanent resident.
Most Of the horned owls hereabouts
are to be found now on islands In the
Potomac.
But. Of course. they can ~.