Notebook Curiosities, vol.1
Rumoured Properties of Plants and Trees
Lovage juice – Mix it with your fishing bait to get a bite.
Split bamboo, then glue back together without hollow centre. Good for rods or swords.
Cut 6 ft strips of bark from dry fallen cedar. Make a bundle larger than two hands. Use strips of white inner bark from the cedar to bind. Use as a smudge against mosquitoes.
Yarrow leaves instead of pepper
Oak inner bark soaked and pounded to make material.
Beechwood for hot bright flame and long burning embers
Ground Horse chestnuts/Black walnut/solomon’s seal into fishing waters – up rise the fish
Osier willow – good for basket-making, and covered in skins makes good shields or boats
Birch bark – for waterproof clothing.
Eucalyptus leaves – dried and smoked for asthma – leaves as a tea for colds, fevers, respiratory trouble
Yellow Gentian – a cure-all, roots steeped in water.
Crushed bramble leaves to stem bleeding