INTRODUCTION. 997 
most closely. The Concow were removed from east of the Sacramento 
Valley to Round Valley, while the Wailaki and Numlaki were brought 
into the reservation from the northern part of the State. The Pomo 
includes several distinct tribes, such as the Little Lakes, Calpellas, 
and Potter Valleys, but their languages and plant uses are nearly 
the same. 
The method of inquiry which the experience of 1897 proved to be 
most satisfactory was first to make a fairly complete set of the native 
plants, and then to take,notes on these from representative Indians, 
refraining as far as possible from asking questions which would lead 
to an expected answer, By allowing the Indians to do most of the 
talking, and checking by means of printed blanks the information 
given by a dozen or more Indians about a single plant, it is hoped that 
the truth was generally obtained. . 
Some of the notes here recorded are of no particular economic value, 
but are worth preserving to show how the natives subsisted in former 
times. Their free use of nearly all kinds of roots, stems, leaves, and 
seeds is not only very interesting, but a knowledge of these and how 
to prépare them for food or medicine may easily he the means of 
sustaining the life of persons who are obliged to traverse long distances 
or take long perilous trips where such plants or closely related ones 
abound. Several, such as manzanita, for its cider, and yerba buena, 
furnish grateful beverages. No one, even though perfectly familiar 
with such plants as the Christmas holly (/leteromeles arbutifolia), the 
bay tree (Uimbellidaria californica), the buckeye (Aesculus californica), 
clover (7rifolium spp.), the Brodiaeas, or the tar weeds (various Com- 
positae), would ever imagine that any portion of them were edible; yet 
these are used in great abundance by the Indians. Some, as the 
buckeye and the acorn, must be subjected to special treatment before 
they can be eaten. A study of this manipulation furnishes one of 
the most important lessons to be gained from the native use of foods. 
The inventive genius developed by these Indians, as a result of untold 
years of experience, is truly remarkable.’ In some ways it is very 
worthy of emulation, especially in the utilization of these substances in 
the place of animal food. It is undoubtedly true that much valuable 
native food is allowed to go to waste. The utilization at the present 
time of such large quantities of clover and acorns for human food sug- 
gests some very interesting problems to food specialists and also to 
ethnologists. The use of such a bulky diet, having been continued for 
ages under perfectly natural conditions, must have had a characteristic 
effect upon their physiognomy and their physical and moral character. 
Some of the native food stuffs, such as the bay nut and the numerous 
liliaceous bulbs. might be introduced into our markets or at least into our 
See pp. 354 to 358 and p. 3867. 
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