526 
Carum  Gairdneri. 
Am.  Jour.  Fharro. 
Nov.,  1891. 
its  name  to  several  streams  of  which  the  Yarnpah,  or  Little  Snake 
River,  is  the  largest. 
"The  tuberous  roots  are  in  close  clusters  of  2  to  5,  fusiform  or 
conical,  about  an  inch  long  and  half  an  inch  or  less  thick ;  they  are 
covered  with  very  thin  brownish  skin  which,  when  scraped  off, 
leaves  an  homogeneous,  pure  white,  farinaceous  substance.  Eaten 
raw  they  have  a  delicious  aromatic  flavor  without  any  bitterness 
or  astringency,  and  with  the  blended  taste  of  the  nut  and  the 
parsnip. 
"  Among  the  Indians  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  those  of  the 
Snake  River,  more  particularly  among  the  Shoshonees,  in  whose 
former  territory  it  is  very  abundant,  this  root  was,  and  still  is,  con- 
sidered one  of  the  very  best  of  the  native  esculent  roots,  either 
raw  or  cooked.  Bears  and  pigs  are  very  fond  of  it,  the  latter  often 
tearing  up  large  tracts  of  ground  in  their  search  for  it. 
"  Several  species  of  Peucedanum  have  larger  edible  tubers,  but 
this  plant  yields  the  most  delicately  flavored  root  of  our  native 
umbellifers.  There  is  little  doubt  that,  if  susceptible  of  enlarge- 
ment by  cultivation,  it  would  soon  become  a  favorite  in  the  vegeta- 
ble garden. 
"  Another  species  of  Carum  (C.  Kellogii,  Gray)  is  found  in  Cen- 
tral California,  near  the  coast.  It  is  a  rather  stouter  plant,  with 
larger  flowers  and  fruit,  and  ternate  or  biternate  leaves,  cut  and 
divided.  The  roots  are  likewise  tuberous  and  clustered,  probably 
larger,  and  used  as  food  by  the  Indians.  This  species  should  also 
be  tested  in  cultivation. 
"  To  this  same  genus  belong  the  caraway  and  the  parsley  of  our 
gardens,  both  plants  having  more  or  less  fleshy,  pleasantly  flavored 
roots,  although  but  little  used." 
The  tubers,  when  first  received,  were  quite  moist,  having  evi- 
dently not  been  out  of  the  ground  very  long.  They  were  allowed  to 
become  air  dry  and  then  submitted  to  a  proximate  analysis,  with  the 
following  results  : 
Per  Cent. 
Fat,  wax  and  caoutchouc,  .  .  . 
Resin,  soluble  in  stronger  ether, 
Saccharose,  
Glucose,  
Mucilage  and  Albuminoids,  .  . 
Pararabin,  etc.,  
1-03 
•53 
10-98 
5'32 
29/20 
275 
