Mesquite Bean. An inhabitant of the southwestern deserts, it ranges as far as the northwestern and southwestern central parts of Mexico. A native of southeastern California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, the Juliflora was perhaps one of the trees which provided the greater part of food for the natives.
Its contents were very rich in protein and even wild animals relished it greatly. To obtain the yearly supply, the Indians made a regular pilgrimage early in the season to localities where the Juliflora grew in abundance, and stood guard over the trees for many weeks until the bean pods were fully matured. Then they were harvested and ground in rock mortars to the fineness of flour, such as is used in the baking of cakes, tarts, etc.
It could also be mixed to the consistency of porridge, either with hot or cold water and taken with sun-dried venison. It formed a very nourishing diet. Sugar was never added to it.
The bean pods of the Juliflora are extremely sweet, and may be eaten right off the tree if dry enough. In any other condition they are unpalatable.
PTERIS AQUILINA
(Ind. Wel-met)
American Bracken Fern. This graceful and stately fern of great beauty of leaf design inhabits the high mountain ranges where there are well-shaded forest lands rich in mulch. This fern is well-known to every Indian for the sad historical part it played in the life of our fair and beloved sister Ramona, the daughter of Ca-we and wife of Alessandro, the immortal Indian who suffered death without a moment’s warning at the hands of a brute and coward.
The authoress of Ramona, Helen Hunt Jackson, mentions in her book what good use of this fern Alessandro made in preparing Ramona’s bed at the time of their elopement and tells of the hardships both young lovers underwent.
The young sprouting shoots of the Pteris aquilina fern mean as much to the Indians as asparagus does to white people, as it contains much oil which is extremely rich in flavor when the shoots are properly cut and cooked.
There are ferns in song, ferns in poetry, ferns where wedding bells ring, ferns on the altars of churches and ferns in God’s acre. Also in gardens, but nature’s garden is where the Indian wants them!