USEFUL WILD PLANTS 



species of nut-pine (Pinus cembroides, Zucc.) is in- 

 digenous. The Parry Pine (P. quadrifolia, Sudw.) 

 is another good nut-pine, abundant in some parts 

 of lower California, but only sparingly found on the 

 United States side of the border. John Muir, in his 

 picturesque way, characterizes the nut-pine forests 

 as "the bountiful orchards of the red man." 



Pine seeds are ripe in autumn, and the Indian 

 method of gathering them is to cut or knock the un- 

 opened cones from the trees and then roast them in 

 a camp fire. This serves to dry out the pitch and 

 open the cones, from which the nuts are then easily 

 extracted. The pinon harvest among the South- 

 western Indians is a joyous time, and what they do 

 not themselves consume is readily turned into money 

 at the traders'. Dr. Edward Palmer, a veteran 

 botanical collector whose notes are enlivened by 

 many a human touch, describes a scene of this kind 

 which he witnessed among the Cocopahs of Lower 

 California. * 'It was an interesting sight to see these 

 children of nature with their dirty, laughing faces, 

 parching and eating the pine nuts ... by the hand- 

 ful. ... At last we had the privilege of seeing prim- 

 itive Americans gathering their uncultivated crop 

 from primeval groves." Though edible raw, the 

 nuts are preferably toasted, which may be done very 



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