Milk weed pods

[Bulldog lady]

   Thinking have read someplace about uses for milk weed pods, the fluffy stuff inside, was it for fire building, They are in season right now. Thanks for any info.

[Blackfeet]

One use was for life preserver filling and flight suit liner filling during WWII. My mother remembers all of the kids gathering it for collection for the war effort. I  would think that it would be a great natural insulator in period cold weather clothing

[Bulldog lady]

   Thinkin pads for mocs etc,  maybe back cushions for wood chairs for us old folks.  thanks so much 

[Dogshirt]

Pods were used to store quills after they were dyed. Pick before they split, split them, dry them in the dark. Then put quills in them.

[cutshurt]

The fluff is great for many things including fire, the little feathery thing the fluff & seeds are attached to (ovem) is when dried great for catching a spark from a fire steel or from a firepiston, there is a thin skin inside the pod that you can peel off and find an almost styrafome like layer that will also work for catching a spark. You can check this link out on my website for info and pics of some off the tinders we have researched.

http://primalconnection.com/ArticlesandReviewsTindersForYourFirePistonOrFlintAndSteel.html

Darrel

[Hawken50]

  Dang Cutshirt that a mighty fine site ol hoss.Looks like i'm goin to be readin fer a spell.

[beowulf]

check this out for a use most people dont know about !  you want them young for this use ! http://www.countrysidemag.com/issues/87/87-2/Sam_Thayer.html

[Blackfeet]

We ate the shoots when I was a youngster. Harvested Milkweed, Dandelions and Fiddlehead ferns all at about the same time in the spring. Fine dining. Never tried the silk though