1918] 



The Ottawa Naturalist 



The sorrel, according to our informant, was also 

 frequently "canned", by simply chopping up and 

 filling into bottles for use in the winter. 



There are several wild mints which may be made 

 into mint-sauce and used quite acceptably as rel- 

 ishes with meat. 



ROOT FOODS. 



The bulbs of the leek. Allium iricoccum, and the 

 garlic. Allium canadense, are found very plentifully 

 in many localities and are quite as good eating as 

 onions and other garden vegetables of the kind. 



Other edible roots found in similar situations are 

 pepper-root, Denlaria diphylla, and Indian cu- 

 cumber-root, Medeola virginiana. Pepper-root has 

 a pungent, cress-like flavor and is frequently eaten 

 as a salad with a little salt and pepper. Indian 

 cucumber-root may be eaten in the same way and 

 is very much like the cucumber in flavor. 



In Western Canada there are a number of food 

 roots which are used more or less extensively by the 

 Indians. Several of these, such as the dog's-tooth 

 violet, Er^ihronium grandiflorum, and the Clay- 

 tonia, have eastern representatives which may also 

 offer some possibilities. Both have tubers which 

 can be found only by digging down about seven or 

 eight inches into the soil. 



The most widely known of the western food 

 materials is probably the root of the camass, Camas- 

 sia esculcnta. This plant belongs to the lily family. 

 The roots are dried and afterwards cooked in pits 

 by means of hot stones placed at the bottom, a large 

 fire being also kindled on the top. In filling the pit, 

 the roots are placed alternately with the branches 

 of the fir and other trees. Other roots are prepared 

 in the same way, some requiring a couple of days' 

 cooking. 



Various southern British Columbia tribes use the 

 roots of a western form of the bracken, Pieris 

 aquilina var. lanuginosa. The root of a lily, 

 Lilium columbianum, is also cooked and eaten. 

 BARK AND STEM FOODS. 



Many of our Indian tribes still use the bark and 

 other portions of the stems of trees, shrubs and 

 plants. 



The Ojibwa Indians peel off the outer bark of the 

 birch and poplar and scrape up the juice mixed with 

 the woody material found beneath. This is quite 

 sweet and is in high favor as a means of refresh- 

 ment. 



The Iroquois use the fresh shoots of the grapevine, 

 Viiis vulpina, raw, without peeling; also those of the 

 white pine, Pinus sirobus; sumac shoots are peeled 

 and eaten, as are those of the red raspberry, Rubus 

 idaeus aculeatissimus. 



The Indians of southern British Columbia use in 

 the same way the young shoots of the cow parsnip. 



Heracleum lanalum, these being considered a great 

 delicacy ; also those of the great willow weed, 

 Epilobium angust'.foUum, the various kinds of rasp- 

 berry, and the Balsamorrhiza sagilta, the latter being 

 peeled. 



The Ircquois claim to have pulverized the bark 

 of the soft maples, Acer saccharinum and Acer 

 rubrum, and made it into a bread. This was no 

 doubt an emergency or famine feed. 



Slippery elm, Ulmus fulva, inner bark is fre- 

 quently boiled by various Indian tribes and the 

 mucilaginous decoction eaten as a food. 



The stems and leaves of plants and the bark and 

 twigs of shrubs and trees were quite commonly, and 

 are, even at present, steeped and drunk as beverages 

 at meal-time. Among these were the twigs of the 

 black birch, Betula lenta ; the spice bush. Benzoin 

 aestivale ; the witch hazel and the red raspberry ; 

 the roots of the sassafras and the stems of the 

 wintergreen, yarrow, Monarda ftsiulosa and others. 

 Even hemlock leaves were sometimes employed in 

 a similar way. For a more extendzd reference to 

 Ircquois beverages, see Memoir 86 of the Geological 

 Survey, Department of Mines, Canada, p. 144. 



FRUITS. 



There are several wild fruits which apparently 

 have received but little attention recently, though 

 they were no doubt more popular a century or so 

 ago. 



The elderberry is often allowed to go to waste, 

 although it is excellent for pies and makes a fairly 

 good, but somewhat seedy, preserve. It was_^ form- 

 erly in demand for making wine. 



The wild black cherry, Prunus serolina, is very 

 plentiful in many places. This can be made into 

 a most appetizing jam for pies and other purposes. 

 It is also supposed to have medicinal virtues. Black 

 cherry wine is a well-known beverage. 



The chokecherry, Prunus virginiana, grows 

 throughout a range somewhat similar to that of the 

 black cherry, and is also used for jam. 



The wild gooseberry is often found in consider- 

 able quantities and makes an excellent preserve and 

 sauce. The prickles are removed by scrubbing the 

 fruit about in a stout bag. 



Various species of Juneberry, (Amelanchier spp.) 

 are preserved, or eaten raw with cream and sugar. 



A very good substitute for cranberries is found 

 in the high-bush cranberry, Viburnum opulus. This 

 also has quite a wide distribution. 



The ground cherry (Ph^salis spp.) is found 

 growing in many places, and makes a very good 

 sauce or preserve. It is gathered when ripe, a con- 

 dition indicated by its becoming greenish-yellow, 

 also by the yellowing of the husk. 



