Show MORE ABOUT 91 mrs J A melville of salt lake city had read v ith interest our re to marks about and made in which resulted in that she had given to her a bicos section of to bring to ua us so that we could see what it is thia this cross section is from a big plant fibrous doiy porous and it is plainly seen it is one of 0 the desert plants mrs melville bald laid that the person who gave it to hor her said do I 1 know wl vi at is isa well I 1 guess I 1 do I 1 got gt a farm that a noth ing but and joshua trees I 1 ought to know it if anybody does mrs melville says it is a plant that grows in warm desert places a group of sharp spines spring up at the bottom radiating out from the stem which when flowering rises to a considerable height and bears bell like drooping flowers when shown a picture in the dictionary she iden titles it with the yucca plant sometimes called spanish bayonet of which one variety Is edible which is possibly what the indian refers to as apples let me add the word is not found in webster s unabridged die so that the term la Is a local coinage it Is no doubt one of the species of the yucca plant the ab ei used yucca fibers for toot foot protection plaiting platting the fibrous bands oft off the spikes and making sandals of them the smaller fibers were us ed in making string and the ends of the young tender pieces were chewed flat into paint brushes for daubing the face of tor for marking a pot the plant was very serviceable to them the dictionary says one species of it has a pith which may be eaten but except tor for the use of the indian I 1 have not as yet found a person who i has eaten or knows exactly what the indian meant when he said the old times ate close cose apples so it if any one knows write me or send me one |