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we find two Potatoes, Solanum tuberosum boreale Gray and S. 
Jamesu Torr., whose tubers have always been among the chief 
articles of food of the Navajo Indians. The var. doreale is so far 
removed and cut off from its Andean type, by the absence of in- 
termediate Mexican and Central American forms, as to make their 
close relationship a very interesting fact in geographic botany. 
Its tubers differ only from those of the Common Potato by their 
smaller size, being from half to three-quarters of an inch in diam- 
eter, and by a peculiar aroma. The tubers of S. /amesii are still 
smaller, dark-colored and usually covered with minute tubercles. 
These plants are hardy and of easy growth, readily responding to 
cultivation, so that it seems strange that the Navajo or Pueblo 
Indians should not have planted and developed them. The tubers 
of var. doreale are readily improved in size, as shown by Prof. 
~ Bailey who has obtained some 4 inches long still retaining their 
distinguishing aroma. This variety of the Common Potato is be- 
yond a doubt the most promising native food plant of North 
America outside of Mexico, and was the one most worthy of the 
_ attention of the aborigines. 
In about the same region and extending north into British 
America is found the “ Kooyah” or “ Tobacco-root ” of the French 
(Valeriana edulis Nutt.), with large fusiform perpendicular root- 
stock dividing below into deep and thick branches. This root, 
black outside and bright yellow inside, is remarkable when fresh 
for its very repulsive odor and taste, resembling those of chewing 
tobacco, but when thoroughly cooked is sweet, palatable and nu- 
tritious. This plant is of great importance to the Indians of the 
Great Basin andthe Northwest. Fremont, on reaching Bear river, 
in northern Utah, wrote: “I ate here for the first time the 
Kooyah, the principal edible root among the Indians who inhabit 
the upper waters of the streams on the western side of the Rocky 
Mountains.” I doubt whether this plant is worth cultivating for 
its root, but its medicinal properties. might be profitably in- 
vestigated. 
The Lily Family (Littaceag) contributes quite generously to 
the vegetable diet of the Indians, as I shall now proceed to show. 
| Taking everything into account, abundance, size, taste and nu- 
_ tritiousness, the best of all native bulbs is doubtless that of the 
