The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1858-08-21
CONDITIONING among the AbOri2lnes.

'Indan corn, the STAPLE product and the
pri,.- Of Amerira," had II, yer been seen by
the Pilgrim Fathers until after their arrival
III this country. They found it extensively
grown among the natives, and their neces>i-
ties soon compelled them 10 learn its uses
AMI cultivation. 1t is interesting to look
back. over two hundred years, to the corn
growing of the aboriginal New Englan,iers
a. we may by turning IN Prof. FiInt'S First
Report 10 Mas>achu>etts Board Of Agricul-
turv, from, which condcusc the following
paragraphs.
Tne clearing of the land. all the farming.
AMI il, tact most of the hard work Of the
natives, was performed by the women,
sisted sometimes by the old men and little
bUs.
10 clear the land of trees. they built
fire around the foot, burning 1t SD that
il die, o, with stone axe tied to a
stick for heivc, Sir'iled it. Alter the trees
BECAME dry, more or less of them were
burned down each year, and burned into
lengths so as to u. rolled into heaps, and
thea wholly consumed. The same method
j. SILL practirei 10y ioggers aud burners in
al Rev tiu,,ered land Corn was planted
anon. the trees ut first, Int after time
ti,eSe would he ali cleared off, and the first
settlers fnnr:t. many such small! fields in the
most fertile parts Of the country.
Ia planting and til!inS their corn, they
use hoe made by tying the shoulder blade
of tnoos~. bear deer. TO a stick or pole !;
al,u. the shore, large clan shell
.a>ten. IN the same way. With this, small
holes were Iu.; f,ur feet apart, into witch.
those alnay the snore put IA horse shoe crab
or two, while those i'll HE interior put in a
iesv small fishes. The finest rows Of corn
a..'.y.t..i fir ,.aH and fnr SiY Et-,.
ne!s were dropped in the holes with the fer
tI!izer aud covered with earth. Bans were
ulantrJ with tie corn after IL came up, and
cr-w, supported by the stalks instead o.
poles
Great attention was paid bv the Indian:
20 the protection and culture Of their grow
ir. crops. To .uard against the dcstruc
ton by birds. a small watcfi-hou>e wal
erected in the mll-t Of field Of co n, II
whIrE one OF the ftn.iy, often the o'des,
child slrpt and early in The morning ross
,nwatrh the blaci,birus. As Tar as ro>sib',
they sought 20 prevent injury ny ins-t Is
anfl waved Il war Of utter DETERMINATION
.c.in>t weeds rot allowing one to be SeeI
among the corn. II was tbs il universal Gus
tom To hill their corn about two feet high
Tor is support.
The corn was picked and hu>ked, tn
beans 1athcre anu she's ell, ana after btlh,
well dried in the sun or yer fire. wer'
stored tor winter in large holes dug in thu
earth and carefully lined with bark. Afte
Ii Ing, these were covered with earth leve
with the surface Of the Ground, with vieV
TO the conccalment of the store from th'
dcpreiations OF their lazy husbands nnc
sons. who were not slow to eat, though the,
drought all such work, save the culture q
,o',cco. beneati. them. The hogs Of fh
colonies were keen hunters OF these cen
cealed sharns. and history says that onc'
when the pilgrims store OF grain was re
duceh to five kernels to each person, they
providentiaily gained supply from thi:
source.
II ,uld be interesting to know whether
the custom Of topping and s"chering wal
not derived from the original rultivaIors d"
Inrlian corn, as billing evidently was. !
has been seen that they applied rich fertii
Z.rS, and gave clean aud careful culture It
the crnp-prac'res as necessary TO success
in the ninrteGnth century. rs in the age
when Noadan4ia was i fresh gift from hedv
en- to the red man.