XI, 1. THE SASSAFRAS TREE. 321 
fruit is an oblong oval drup&of a dark blue, when ripe, sup- 
ported by a dark red, thickened, club-shaped footstalk. They 
are eagerly sought after by birds, and therefore soon disappear. 
When perfectly ripe, and before they have begun to be preyed 
upon, they form a beautiful contrast with the agreeable green 
of the leaves. 
Few of the insects which frequent the sassafras trees have 
been attentively studied. Caterpillars of the rabbit tussock- 
moth, Lagoa opercularis of Dr. Harris, are often found feeding 
on their leaves, as are those of the Saturnia Jo ; and within the 
leaves, the caterpillar of the Attacus Promethea butterfly spins 
its cocoon and spends the winter.—(Harris’s Report, pp. 265, 
281 and 283.) The leaves, also, sometimes furnish nourishment 
to caterpillars of the Atiacus luna butterfly.—(Drury, I, 45.) 
The wood, in young trees, is white, but becomes reddish 
on growing old. It is very brittle, and branches of some size 
may be broken with little effort, and yet the seasoned wood 
combines lightness and toughness in a higher degree, than al- 
most any other wood, and is therefore preferred for the purpose 
of making the smaller joints of fishing-rods. It 1s soft and close- 
erained, and 1s said to resist decay for a long time, when exposed 
to the weather. Its odor is supposed to be disagreeable to in- 
sects and worms, to whose attacks it is said not to be liable; 
for which reason it is sometimes used as the material for bed- 
steads, and for trunks and drawers for clothes. It is also used 
for rafters and joists; as fuel, it is little esteemed, as it snaps in 
the fire like the wood of .the chestnut. 
In the southwestern States, the dried leaves are much used as 
an ingredient in soups, for which they are well adapted by the 
abundance of mucilage they contain. For this purpose, the 
mature green leaves are dried and powdered, the stringy por- 
tions being separated, and are sifted and preserved for use. 
This preparation, mixed with soups, gives them a ropy consist- 
ence, and a peculiar flavor, much relished by those accustomed 
to it. To such soups are given the names gomdbo filé and 
gombo zab. 
In Virginia, and the more southern States, a beer, considered 
a healthy drink for the spring and summer seasons, is made by 
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