Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1858-09-04
MISCELLANY.
Corn-Growing among the Aborigines

prlue vi America, nau never been seen Dv
the Pilgrim Fathers until after their arrival
In this country They found it extensively
grown among the natives, and their nccessi-
ties soon compelled them to lcarnits uses and
cultivation. 1t is interesting to look back,
over two hundred years, to the corn n-growinr
of the aboriginal New Engiandcrs as we may
by turning to Prof. Flint's First Report to the
Massachusetts Board of Agriculture, from
which we cOndcnse the following paragraphs.
The clearing of the land, all the farming.
and in fact most of the hard work of the ma
uvcs, was performed by the women, assisted
sometimes by the old men and little boys
To clear the land of trees, they built fire
around the foot, burning it so that it died, or
with stone axe tied to stick for helyc,
girdled it. After the trees became drv, more
or less of them were burned down each year,
and burned into lengths so as to be rolled in
to heaps. and then wholly consumed. The
same method is still practiced by loercrs
and burners i'll all new timbcrcd land Corn
was planted among the trees at first but after
q time these would be all cleared off, and the
hrst settlers found many such small fields in
the most fertile parts of the country
In planting and tilling their corn, they
used II hoe made by tying the shoulder blade
OF moose, bear or deer, to stick or pole:
or ra'ong the sea shore, II large clam shell
fastened in the same way. With this, small
holes were dug four feet apart, in which, those
along the shore put horseshoe crab or two.
while those in the interior put in few small
1lShcs. The finest rows Of corn were selected
Tor seed, and four or six kernels were dropped
in the holes with the fertilizer and covered
with earth: Beans were planted with the
corn after it came up, and grew, supported
by the stalks instead of poles.
Great attention was paid by the Indians to
the protection and culture of their growing
crops. 10 guard against the destruction bv
birds, small watch-house was erected i'm the
midst of n field Of corn, in which one of the
family, oftcn the oldest child slept, and car
~ in the morning rose to watch the black
BIRDS: As taras possible, they sought to pre-
vent injury by insects, and waged q war of
utter determination against weeds, not allow
ing one to be seen among the corn. 1t was
their universal custom to hill their corn about
two feet high for its support.
The corn was picked and husked, the beans
gathered and shcllcd, and after being we'll
dried III the sun or over fire. were stored
Tor winter in large holes dug in earth and
carefully lined with bark After filling, these
were covered with earth level with the sur
lace OF the ground, with n view to the con-
"calment of the store from the depredations
ot their lazy husbands and sons, who were
not slow to eat, though they thought all such
them. The hogs of the colonists were keen
hunters OF these concealed barns, and history
says that once when the pilgrims store of
grain was reduced to FIVE kernels to each per-
son, they providentially gained supply from
this source.
1T would be interesting to know whether
tho custom oftoping and suckering was not
derived from the original cultiyators Of Indian
corn as hiiiIns evidently was. 1t has been
seen that they applied rich fertilizers, and
gave clean and careful culture to the crop
practices as necessary to success in the nine
tscnth century, rs in ages when Mondania
WAS fresh gift from heaven to the red man.
ADVANTAGES OF RoTATIoN IN CRors.-Each
crop exhausts the soil of certain Clements
Continuing the same crop for many years
consumes these elements. The soil will not
produce that crop longer. Another crop con-
sumes another order Of clements, and will
flourish when tho first will not grow. Each
plant, while growing, throws off certain mat
ters which are not favorable to the Growth
ol successive crops of the same plant. Plants
IN tins respect are somewhat like animals
which always avoid their own cxcrements:-
Now other plants may use these matters.
Hence rotation is profitable because one
crop may take up what another throws off.
Certain crops have certain insects that prey
on them. The cultivation of the same crop
for many years favors the multiplication of
insects. Change the crop and you diminish
or destroy them. Various crops rnish va
rious kinds of manures. which are found
profitable on farm. He who wants this
variety will find II rotation the simplest and
easiest way to secure it, A rotation in crops
results in some great social advantages
Among these are the following A coulmuni-
ty which nurses good rotation viii he more
independent Of foreign supplies, 1t will
pass through season of scarcity with much
less suffering. It's farmers will be more in
tellIgent, because their experience will be va
ried. Their prosperity, too, will be moro
equal, as it will not depend on the ups and
downs ola single crop. = Ohio Farmer.
King CHARLES THE SIMPLE AND HIS Fool.
This good follows influence was SO great.
that Charles, King of France. once remarked
to him, that nc thought they had better
change places. AS jean did not look well
pleased at the proposal, Charles pskcd him if
he were content at the idea of being a king.
"Oh. content enough, was the reply; "but |
should be exceedingly ashamed of having
such fool" TWAS this fool who once tried
his masters nerve, by rushing into his room
one morning, with the exclamation .Oh.
sire. such ncwsl Four thousand men have
risen in the cityw "Whatp p cried the star.
tied king, with what intention have they
risenT "Well," said Jean, placing his fin
gor upon hIe nose, probably with the intcn-
tion Of lying down again ut bedtime"