45 
delicious in flavor as the best of refined sugar” and formerly 
much collected by the natives; a combination of the acid pulp 
with the sweet crust making excellent lemonade. 
In California, the Manzanitas are also used for this purpose. 
Arctostaphylos Manzanita Parry, the Common Manzanita, has a 
smooth apple-like fruit, 4-6 lines broad, reddish-brown when ripe, 
mildly astringent, but decidedly acid; it makes a pleasant cooling 
drink in summer. A. tomentosa Douglas has a somewhat smaller 
pubescent fruit. 
Likewise used in this manner is the fruit of our two species of 
Shepherdia, S. argentea Nutt., the Bullberry of the Missouri re- 
gion, and S. Canadensis Nutt., the Soapberry of the northern 
States and British America. That of the former contains 2 to 3 
per cent. of free acid; that of the latter contains a small propor- 
tion of saponin, so that when triturated in water and beaten up it 
Produces a thick foam which, when sweetened, is highly prized by 
the natives. : 
Other common native plants with tart fruit imparting a pleas- 
antly acidulous taste to water are the Barberries, specially Berberis 
Canadensis Mill. of the east, B. repens Lindl. and B. aguifolium 
Pursh. of the Rocky Mountains and Pacific States, and 2, trifo- 
“ata Moric. of Texas and Mexico. 
Finally, we may note a few of the plants used in infusion to 
make aromatic teas. These plants are many; in fact, there is. 
hardly any scented vegetable within reach which has not been © 
used at some time by natives in prepaying beverages, 7s 
Perhaps oftener for medicinal purposesgthan to Simply gratify the 
palate. on 
Sassafras tea, made from the root of the Sassafras tree, was a’ 
favorite substitute for Chinese tea in the South during our Civil 
War, and had always been appreciated by Indians, although they — 
never suspected the superior charms of “root-beer.” During the _ 7 
war for independence, the colonists used, as a substitute for the 
imported article, the leaves of New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus Ameri-— 
canus L..) which had at least the merit of being very common. It 
is quite probable that its virtues had been indicated by the natives. 
It does not contain theine but a’ very minute pees of a bi 
ter deco cs alkaloid, ceanothine, eo ng er, W 
