594 
Some  Indian  Food  Plants. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Dec,  1888. 
as  many  lobes  of  a  thick  disk.  The  female  bushes  put  out  their  in- 
conspicuous flowers  one  or  two  weeks  later.  The  fruit  is  a  red,  pellu- 
cid berry,  three  lines  in  diameter,  with  a  smooth,  shining  seed;  it  be- 
gins to  turn  scarlet  in  July,  but  is  not  edible  before  September,  and 
remains  on  the  bushes  until  shrivelled  by  frost. 
The  berries  grow  in  such  profusion  as  to  cover  the  stems  and 
twigs  to  which  they  are  attached  by  a  very  short  stalk,  contrasting 
charmingly  with  the  silvery  foliage,  the  whole  shrub,  at  this  time, 
being  highly  ornamental.  They  are  very  acid,  and  hardly  palatable 
until  they  have  been  touched  by  one  or  two  frosts  in  the  early  days  of 
October,  when  they  are  sweetened  and  acquire  a  very  pleasant  flavor, 
unlike  that  of  any  other  fruit. 
"  Until  recently,  they  constituted  one  of  the  staple  foods  of  the  In- 
dians, the  Utes  of  Utah,  as  well  as  the  Sioux  of  Dakota,  or  the  Black- 
feet  of  the  Saskatchewan,  who  consumed  them  raw  and  stewed,  or 
mixed  with  other  native  esculents.  They  still  eat  enormous  quantities 
of  them.  The  whites  are  likewise  fond  of  these  berries,  but  use  them 
mostly  in  the  making  of  an  excellent  jelly,  which  is  to  be  found  in 
every  household  along  the  Upper  Missouri  and  Yellowstone. 
"  This  jelly  has  an  excellent  acidulous  flavor  sui  generis.  Berries 
and  jelly  are  very  wholesome,  and  can  be  freely  eaten  without  the 
least  inconvenience  or  discomfort. 
"  Besides  being  an  ornamental  shrub  of  great  value  the  Buffalo 
berry,  with  its  diffused  thorny  branches,  makes  also  an  excellent  hedge 
plant.  It  is  hardy,  stands  transportation  with  great  immunity,  grows 
rapidly  during  the  first  few  years,  and  is  susceptible  of  any  shape  by 
pruning,  so  that,  if  female  plants  only  be  used,  a  hedge  is  obtained  of 
great  beauty,  strength  and  durability." 
These  berries  have  been  mentioned  by  Dr.  Edward  Palmer,^  and 
by  Dr.  J.  S.  Newberry,^  but  no  analysis  has  been  found,  and  it  was 
thought  that  a  determination  of  the  more  important  constituents  of  the 
fruit  might  be  of  interest,  particularly  for  comparison  with  currants, 
which  they  resemble  very  much.  As  the  composition  varies  with  the 
ripeness  of  the  fruit,  it  may  be  noted  that  in  this  sample  the  berries 
had  become  ripe,  although  they  had  not  been  touched  by  frost,  and 
were  therefore  quite  acid. 
^  Plants  used  by  the  Indians  of  the  United  States. — Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,  1878, 
page  543. 
2  Popular  Science  Monthly,  xxxii.,  page  45. 
