132 WITH THE FLOWERS AND TREES 



f ul yellow lily ; and different kinds of the widely dis- 

 tributed tribe of Brodisea, are of this interesting 

 class of food plants, which perhaps formed a useful 

 dietetic balance to acorn and pine-nut. Certain 

 native species of clover also were eaten raw leaf, 

 stem and flower the honey in the blossoms doubt- 

 less sweetening the mass and adding an agreeable 

 attractiveness to this Nebuchadnezzar diet, for 

 every Indian the country over is passionately fond 

 of sweets. 



Many of the so-called " potatoes" have a pleasant 

 nutty flavor and were eaten raw, 1 but most of them 

 the Indians preferred to cook. In this day of fire- 

 less cookers, the process employed by the Indians 

 is not without interest as showing that they had 

 anticipated the same principle. A pit would be dug 

 in the ground and lined with stones. Into this a 

 quantity of fire-wood would be placed and ignited, 

 making a huge bonfire which would heat the stones, 

 and upon dying down would leave a good bed of hot 

 ashes. Upon these the ' * potatoes ' ' would be spread, 

 covered with a thick layer of leaves or brush, and 

 upon this would be laid a covering of dirt sufficient 



i Mr. Carl Purdy, of Ukiah, who has made a specialty of introduc- 

 ing native California bulbs into cultivation, and employs Indians to 

 gather wild stock, states that it is almost impossible to secure a suf- 

 ficient supply of some kinds because the red collectors cannot refrain 

 from eating them as fast as they dig them up! 



