MANNA 197 



as a substitute for sugar among the trappers and 

 hunters." 



II. John S. Newberry, botanist in charge of the U. S. 

 Pacific R. R. Surveys, California and Oregon. Botan- 

 ical Report, 1855, p. 44. On the Pinus Lambertiana, the 

 Sugar Pine. 



"The resin of the sugar pine is less abundant than 

 that of the P. ponderosa; is white or transparent like 

 that of P. strobiis. 



"That which exudes from partially burnt trees, for 

 the most part, loses its terebinthine taste and smell, 

 and acquires a sweetness nearly equal to that of 

 sugar. 



"This sugar gives the tree its name, and is sometimes 

 used for sweetening food. It has, however, decided 

 cathartic properties, and is oftener used by the frontier 

 men as a medicine than a condiment. 



"Its resemblance in taste, appearance and properties 

 to manna strikes one instantly; and but for a slight 

 terebinthine flavor, it might be substituted for that 

 drug without the knowledge of the druggist or phy- 

 sician, its physical and medical properties are so very 

 like." 



It is not possible that Father Picolo refers to the 

 sugar from these trees, as he failed to record any cathar- 

 tic properties as an attribute of his sugar; furthermore, 

 the manner which he describes of collecting the sugar 

 hardly conforms to the description just given as to the 

 manner of collecting it from these trees. It is most 

 probable, according to his brief statement on the sub- 

 ject (for he mentions it as occurring "on the leaves of 

 the reeds"), that high trees carrying sugar in their sap 

 are out of question, although such sugar trees were not 



