37 



In the absence of extended study of acorns for food for man and 

 his farm stocky I had thought best at this meeting to start the ball 

 rolling by writing a number of authorities and obtaining reports which 

 might be assembled. I have learned, however, that Dr. J. Russell 

 Smith h.is very complete and important notes relating to acorns, in 

 manuscriiit form. These will appear in a new book entitled Tree 

 Crops, to be published shortly. 



Mr. H. R. ^losnat of Chicago, Illinois, has turned over to me a 

 letter from Mr. A. B. Hastings, Acting Assistant Forester, Forest 

 Service, United States Department of Agriculture, who quotes from 

 a memorandum of Mr. W. A. Dayton, Associate Plant Ecologist: 



"In general it is 2orobably safe to say that the acorns of the White 

 Oak group are sweeter than those of the Black Oak group. 



"The acorns of the Swamp Cliestnut Oak, locally known as Bas- 

 ket Oak (Quercus prinus — Q. michauxii) are sweet and edible. Cer- 

 tain individual trees of the Chinquapin Oak, popularly known as Chest- 

 nut Oak (Quercus Muehlenbergii — Q. acuminata) bear edible acorns. 

 Probably other trees in this group of eastern oaks also, at least occasion- 

 ally, have acorns that are suited to human consumption. I liave my- 

 self, as an experiment, roasted the acorns of White Oak (Q. alba) and 

 liave found them not unpalatable. 



"In the Southwest, the acorns of the Mexican Blue Oak (Q. oblongi- 

 folia) form an important article of diet among certain Indians. In 

 California and Oregon a number of the white-oak-group oaks are 

 prized by various Indian tribes for the acorns, whereof they make 

 bread, soup, etc. Among these are tlie Valley White Oak (Q. lobata), 

 Oregon White Oak, Oregon Oak, or Gerry Oak (Q. Gerryana) and 

 Blue, Oregon, or Douglas Oak (Q. Dougiasii). 



"The Holly Oak, or Holm Oak of southern Europe (Q. ilex) is 

 famous, especially in var. rotundifolia and other forms, for its edible 

 acorns which are i3rizel by Italians, Spaniards, etc. The acorns of 

 some of the forms of this species are said to turn sweet in storage. 

 Quercus ballota of Morocco bears large edible oily acorns that form 

 an article of trade with Spain. 



"In Japan the nuts of the Blue Japanese oak (Quercus glauca) are 



