China Bayles' Book of Days
Page 43
• Gingko may be useful in treating macular degeneration, cochlear deafness, and peripheral arterial disease.
If you’re thinking of adding a gingko to your landscaping, be sure you have plenty of room: it can reach a height of 100 feet, with a 20-foot girth. Choose a male tree, to avoid the squishy fruit of the female trees. Plant in well-drained soil and stake it until you’re sure it’s going to grow straight. Water regularly until it’s about 20 feet tall. It will grow about two feet a year, and defy insects and disease. In autumn, its ornamental, fan-shaped leaves will turn a beautiful gold.
GINKGO NUT PORRIDGE
Take one cup of rice and 10-15 ginkgo nuts, cook in 2.5 cups of water over slow heat, until tender. Remove ginkgo nuts, blend rice until creamy, then add ginkgo nuts. Warm and serve. Add honey, butter or olive oil to taste. (Reprinted with permission from Hobbs, Ginkgo, Elixir of Youth)
More Reading:
Ginkgo, Elixir of Youth: Modern Medicine from an Ancient Tree, by Christopher Hobbs
OCTOBER 27
God designed Osage orange especially for the purpose of fencing the prairies.
—JOHN A. WRIGHT, EDITOR OF THE PRAIRIE FARMER, 1850
Hedge Apples: From Susan’s Journal
Here at MeadowKnoll, we have only one hedge apple tree. Growing at the edge of the woodland, it drops its fruits into the grass at the edge of our little marsh. But when I was a child in Illinois, every hedgerow was full of these graceful trees. And at this time of year, the trees were full of hedge apples, which made dandy ammunition for the farm boys in our area. The hedge apple fruits are about the size of a grapefruit and heavy. If you’re hit by one, by golly, you’ll feel it for a while.
This tree, native to Texas and Oklahoma, was named in 1818: Macula pomifera, in honor of the American geologist William Maclure. The common name, Osage orange, reflects the orange color of the bark and wood, which was much used by the Osage Indians who lived between the Arkansas and Missouri rivers. Their Osage orange bows were so widely respected that the tree was called bois d’arc, and a well-made bow might bring as much as a horse and blanket in trade. The Comanches made a decoction of the root to treat eye infections, and the Kiowa used the wood to make the staff held by the singer in the sacred peyote ceremony. The Pima used it to tan leather and to make a lovely yellow-orange dye—and so have I.
When the settlers came to the Plains, they used the trees for fencing, planting them close together, so that the thorny branches formed an effective barrier. The trees have a long life, in part because the wood contains an antifungal agent that makes it rot and insect resistant. So when barbed wire began to reshape the prairies, Osage orange was in demand as fence posts—as well as for wheels, mine timbers, and railroad ties.
My grandmother, who grew up on a Missouri farm in the 1870s, gathered hedge apples and stowed them in the cupboard to keep out the cockroaches. If you have roaches and hedge apples, it’s worth a try. You might also try growing your own tree. Soak the fruit in water for a couple of days, then break it up. Planted now, the seeds should germinate next spring.
For another view of the hedge apple, read:
The Ghosts of Evolution: Nonsensical Fruit, Missing Partners, and Other Ecological Anachronisms, by Connie Barlow
So much do the savages esteem the wood of this tree [the osage orange] for the purpose of making their bows, that they travel many hundreds of miles in quest of it.
—MERIWETHER LEWIS TO THOMAS JEFFERSON, 1804
OCTOBER 28
Today is the beginning of the Celtic Month of Reed, according to some sources.
That worthy Prince of famous memory Henry 8. King of England, was wont to drinke the distilled water of Broome floures, against Surfets and Diseases thereof arising.
—JOHN GERARD, HERBAL, 1597
The Bonny, Bonny Broom
Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius) is a perennial shrub, growing six to ten feet tall, that served a variety of important household purposes. In its native England, it was used to make brooms, wattle fencing, and baskets; in Scotland, it was used as a roof thatch. The flowers produced a yellow and green dye.
Broom was also thought to have magical properties, for its golden pea-blossoms were sacred to the sun god Belus. While the plant is toxic, the young petals are somewhat safer and were once used to produce an intoxicating narcotic drink. Roasted, the seeds substituted for coffee. Medicinally, the tops were infused as a treatment for dropsy (congestive heart failure) and kidney and bladder complaints.
In bloom, the plant represented plenty and abundance. According to The Modern Herbal, the flowers were used for house decoration at Whitsuntide, but if you used broom for a “menial purpose” at that time, you could find yourself in trouble: “If you sweep the house with blossomed Broom in May, You are sure to sweep the head of the house away.”
The wild yellow broom is highly invasive, and you don’t want it in your garden. But look for some of the hybrid cultivars in beautiful colors of red, maroon, and orange. You might want to try pickling them, following a recipe from 1736:
MRS. MCLINTOCK’S PICKLED BROOM BUDS
Gather your Broom-buds about the first of May, pick them clean, sew a Linen Bag, put them in, lay them in a strong pickle of salt and Water, let them lie 5 or 6 Days, change the water every Day, boil them in salt and Water, till they be as green as Grass; then take as much wine Vinegar as you think will cover them, with a little Nutmeg, Cloves, Mace, Ginger; boil all with your Vinegar, and drain the Buds clean from the Water, and put them among the Vinegar, and let them boil awhile; so bottle them up.
Learn more about the uses of herbs in Scotland:
The Scots Herbal: The Plant Lore of Scotland, by Tess Darwin
According to tradition, the last herb stalk left in the garden after the harvest is the home of the garden spirit. Ask for its blessing, and hang it in the kitchen.
OCTOBER 29
“What Folk Do with Herbs”: The Sixteenth Annual Myra Merryweather Lecture
In pursuit of a fully rounded herbal education, the herb guild has established the Myra Merryweather Lecture Series. Each year, they invite a noted herbal expert to speak on an interesting and engaging topic. This year’s lecture was even more interesting than usual. Entitled “What Folk Do with Herbs,” it was all about herbal folklore. The guest speaker, Mrs. Emmaline Wiggenton, probably could have talked all night (in fact, some people thought she might be going to do just that). But she certainly kept everyone entertained. Here are some of the highlights of her talk.
• Comfrey was not just a medicinal herb, it was a wonder-worker. Comfrey leaves in the bath water could restore your virginity.
• If you take a heliotrope flower into church, it will cause all the unfaithful wives to be frozen in their seats.
• Hide caraway seeds in your husband’s pocket, and he will be safe from the lures of the other woman. If that doesn’t work and he strays, burn a bay leaf to bring him back again.
• Tie a red onion to the bedpost. It will keep you from catching cold and other unpleasant diseases in bed.
• If you’re worried about your moral health, you can get a checkup with a plantain. Pull a leaf and count the number of ribs. This will tell you how many lies you’ve already told today.
• A young woman who is curious about the identity of her future spouse can find out by setting a dish of flour under a rosemary bush on Midsummer Eve. When she gets up in the morning, she’ll find her future husband’s initials written in it. Or somebody’s.
• Set your cabbage plants out on a Friday new moon, and they’ll never be harmed by the frost.
• Fennel is a favorite of snakes. They eat it to restore their youth before shedding their skins.
In token of the Guild’s deep appreciation for her erudite lecture, Pansy Pride presented Mrs. Wiggenton with an engraved plaque and a beautiful tumbleweed made of coat hangers, crafted by the Guild’s very own Harold Thompson. This brought all the Guild members to their feet in an enthusiastic
burst of applause.
The evening ended with a selection of delicious herbal refreshments, although it was remarked that Felicity Firestone’s prizewinning fennel pesto, served as an appetizer on toasted crostini, was almost untouched.
For more on Mrs. Wiggenton’s subject:
Discovering the Folklore of Plants, by Margaret Baker
OCTOBER 30
Hey-how for Hallow e’en!
A’ the witches to be seen
Some in black, and some in green,
Hey-how for Hallow e’en!
—TRADITIONAL SONG
And the Great Pumpkin will rise up out of his pumpkin patch with his bag of toys for all the good children.
—CHARLES SCHULTZ, IT’S THE GREAT PUMPKIN,
CHARLIE BROWN!
Pumpkins!
It’s time to celebrate that great American ritual, the carving of the pumpkin. It is said that the practice began in Ireland, with lighted coals put into carved turnips. However that may be, the Holloween pumpkin is certainly an American invention, for Cucurbita pepo is a native American herb.
An herb? Indeed! The pumpkin in its entirety—the flesh, the blossoms, and the seeds—was a popular, nourishing vegetable, used by many Indian tribes: Apache, Cherokee, Navajo, Ojibwa, Papago, Rappahonnock. But the seeds were also used to treat intestinal parasites and kidney and urinary problems. A decoction of the stems was used to soothe menstrual cramps, and the leaves for upset stomachs. A ground seed paste cleansed and softened the skin.
When you’ve carved your pumpkin, there’s sure to be plenty of pumpkin seeds for the children to roast and eat. Here’s the basic how-to: Separate the seeds from the pulp and wash the seeds thoroughly. Spread them on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with salt or Savory Blend (August 29), and bake at 350° for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. And for more eating fun, sprinkle with Mama Mia, Creole Crazy, or Mexi-Corny Popcorn Sprinkle (see January 19)—what’s good for popcorn is just as good for pumpkin seeds. Go for it, Charlie Brown!
American Indian tribes had different names for the October full moon:
Apache: Moon When the Corn Is Taken In Northern Arapaho: Falling Leaves Moon Cheyenne: Moon When the Water Begins to Freeze at the Edge of the Stream Muskogee: Big Chestnut Moon
OCTOBER 31
Today is the eve of Samhain. In the Celtic calendar, it marks the beginning of the winter season. In America, today is celebrated as Halloween, a contraction of All Hallows Eve.
To summon minor devils, burn incense made of parsley root, coriander, nightshade, hemlock, black poppy juice, sandalwood, and henbane.
—SIXTEENTH-CENTURY FORMULA, CITED IN ROSEMARY
REMEMBERED: A CHINA BAYLES MYSTERY
The Witching Herbs
Whether or not Ruby Wilcox is a witch (as some folks in Pecan Springs insist), she is definitely sympathetic to earth religions and pagan traditions. Her studies have taken her into the herbs that were traditionally associated with witches, and she usually teaches a class on them during the last week of October. The following material comes from one of her class handouts. (Please note that Ruby is giving historical information, not teaching people how to use these deadly plants!)
A TRIO OF BANEFUL HERBS
• Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) was believed to have aphrodisiac properties. The Greek priestesses of the Oracle of Delphi are said to have smoked it to increase their prophetic powers, and it has long been thought to enhance clairvoyance. Ingested, it is fatally toxic.
• Belladonna (Atropa belladonna). In legend, belladonna belongs to the devil. The name may refer to the use of the juice by Italian women as an eye-drop, to give brilliancy and beauty to the eye, or to Hecate, goddess of the underworld, who could transform herself into a beautiful woman. A narcotic, pain reliever, and source of atropine, belladonna had important uses in early medicine, although it was known to be fatally toxic. Mixed with fat or oil and rubbed on the skin, the plant was used as an hallucinogen. An ingredient in the infamous “flying ointments.”
• Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum). A narcotic herb, used in ancient times as an anesthetic during surgery. According to The Modern Herbal, “The plant was fabled to grow under the gallows of murderers, and it was believed to be death to dig up the root . . . It was held, therefore, that he who would take up a plant of Mandrake should tie a dog to it for that purpose, who drawing it out would certainly perish.” Mandrake was apparently used like henbane and belladonna, as an hallucinogenic ointment.
More about witching herbs:
Magical Herbalism, by Scott Cunningham
Murder, Magic, and Medicine, by John Mann
NOVEMBER 1
Today is Samhain, the fourth cross-quarter day of the Celtic year. Other cross-quarter days: Imbolc (February 1), Beltane (May 1), and Lughnasadh or Lammas (August 1).
The new year of the earth begins. We have reached the midpoint between Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice. This is the time to think about our own mortality. The veil is the thinnest between the worlds tonight, and dead souls visit their living relatives.
—ZSUZSANNA E. BUDAPEST, THE GRANDMOTHER OF TIME
Soul Cakes
Samhain was a major celebration in the England of earlier times, for the harvest was complete and the households and farmsteads were stocked with food for the winter. Groups went from house to house, singing or chanting in return for something to eat or drink, as they did at other celebrations. When the pagan festival became All Souls Day, the poor went about chanting prayers for the souls of any who had died that year, in return for “soul cakes,” flat oat breads baked with currants. The dead, who were believed to return at this time, were also thought to share the cakes.
There is no record of the herbs that might have been used to flavor the cakes, but rosemary was likely. Begin a tradition in your family by baking these cupcakes and sharing with the neighbors.
OATMEAL APPLE CUPCAKES WITH NUTS AND ROSEMARY
1 apple, chopped
½ cup raisins
½ cup chopped pecans
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced fine,
or 1 teaspoon dried
1 cup oatmeal
½ cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon of
lemon juice added)
½ cup cooking oil
Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a 24-cup muffin tin, or place paper cups in muffin tin. Mix chopped apple, raisins, nuts, and rosemary. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix egg, buttermilk, and oil. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients in two batches, stirring just to mix. Add fruit-nut mix. Stir just until all ingredients are moistened. Fill muffin cups full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, then remove from the muffin tins. Makes 2 dozen muffins.
NOVEMBER 2
Hispanics celebrate their dead throughout the year, but especially on El Día de los Muertos, the day when families hold reunions at the cemetery, where the spirits of the dead are invited to join the festivities and share in the holiday food, music, flowers, candles, and incense. It’s a reflection of Hispanics’ respect for death, their belief that death is only a part of life, in the natural progression from this world to the next.
—BLEEDING HEARTS: A CHINA BAYLES MYSTERY
El Día de los Muertos
In Mexico, Day of the Dead celebrations usually take place between October 27 and November 2. The rituals differ, depending on family, community, and regional traditions. Families create home altars displaying the ofrendas, or offerings, which include flowers and herbs, pictures, candles, and pan del muerto, as well as favorite foods. The community celebrates with music, dancing, gay costumes, and quiet visits to family gravesites, where candles and incense are burned. But whatever else the celebration involves, three important herbs are likely to
be used.
• Amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) was a staple grain for pre-Columbian Aztecs, who believed it had supernatural powers. Associated with human sacrifice, ground amaranth seed was mixed with honey or human blood and formed into figures that were eaten during rituals. At modern Day of the Dead celebrations, the seeds are mixed with honey and chocolate and made into skulls called calaveras, with the name of the dead on the forehead. The skulls symbolize death and rebirth.
• Marigold (Tagetes sp.), or zenpasuchitl or cempasuichil , figured in Aztec beliefs about the seven-year journey to and from the afterworld, which must be completed before the dead could rest. In search of nourishment, souls returned to the land of the living each year. They took strong-smelling marigolds from the ofrenda to drop behind them, marking the trail they would take on their return the following year. Often, the living create such trails, from the cemetery (where marigold flowers decorate the grave) to the home.