OAK PRODUCTS. 341 
County for their fattening power, and it is remarkable, especially in 
early life, how fat they become on this diet. Those acorns which con- 
tain the most oil are most highly valued for food, and it was the meal 
from these that used to be employed by the squaws to groom their 
warriors after they had returned from battle. The annual harvest 
was in former days heralded by a kind of thanksgiving dance, and 
during this performance a special acorn song was sung. The Concow 
version of this, given by Powers,! 
Hu’-tim yo’-kim koi-o-di’, 
is as follows: 
The acorns come down from heaven. 
Wi'-hi yan’-ning koi-o-di’, 
I plant the short acorns in the valley. 
Lo’-whi yan’-ning koi-o-di’. 
] plant the long acorns in the valley. 
Yo-ho’ nai-ni’, hal-u’-dom yo nai, vo-ho’ nai-nim’. 
I sprout, [, the black acorn, sprout, T sprout. 
ry : : . : “ag 2 . 
The possession of specially fruitful areas of oak trees was not 
wholly common a half century ago to the particular tribe, but certain 
trees and certain small tracts were owned and cared for by a single 
individual or by a family. Among the Pomos especially the posses- 
sion of a greater or less number of oaks, manzanitas, peppernuts, and, 
perhaps other trees, was to some degree a measure of wealth. The 
parched acorns were to a slight extent used with barley as a substitute 
for coffee by some of the Spanish settlers. As the bitter principle ts 
still present in the decoction, it is quite probable that some physio- 
logical effect is produced by it. 
OTHER OAK PRODUCTS. 
A few notes on the medicinal use made of oak galls and bark are 
given under Quercus lobuta. No particular application seems ever to 
have been made of the filtrate from the acorn meal. It could be very 
easily collected in the modern processes of filtration. 
Oak wood is used yery little for fuel-or timber, but some kinds are 
frequently used for making tool handles, mauls, and paddles. The 
bark taken from the fallen trees is especially useful in the process of 
baking and in parching pinole seeds in baskets, because it burns slowly 
without flame for along time. Fresh oak bark is occasionally used, 
together with water and some rusty nails, asa means of blackening basket 
material. The leaves of the evergreen oaks, especially of the black 
oak, furnish fodder to stock in exceptionally severe winters. The 
dried and powdered leaves were formerly used a great deal for tinder, 
'Pribes of California, p. 308, 
