The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-03-17
AGRICULTURE.
AS CONDUCTED BY THE ORIGINAL.
INHABITANTS OF AMERICA
Women the First Farmers of Our Country
How They Conducted the Business
Products of the Soil Under
Primitive Culture.

OF farmers, of North America, for the saw
age lords OF the soil Scorned tillage as does
e modern shop boy and passed their time in
lighting or in fishing, although they never
refused 10 eat the product Of the soil When
new field was to be cleared up in "wonne-
qusm-sauke," the squaws would take their
hatchets (made Of sharpenel stone) and
Iird.e TIE trees by bruising off a wide circle
Of the bark; monte jeeg- kwai-wag." al
they called this employment The next
spring, twelve months after heaping dry
limbs and leaves around the decayed trunks
they would apply fire, and while the flames
consumed tho dead giants of the forest. AMI
tic heat killed the roots of the underblush
the ashes would leave the soil mellow and in
line heat A field thus titled would be used
Gy generations, thus proving the excellence
OF wood ashes as fertilizer for Indian cora.
Great care was taken by the Indians b.
select for seed the best ear for SHANNON "
which was their name for Indian corn, al
though they had distinct Applications for
the white, the red, the yellow, and the black
varieties all OF which they possessed, and
Kept pOttage fish and flesh of all sorts.
either new taken or dried, as shad, eels, ale
wives or kind Of herring, OF any other
sort Of fish. But they dried mostly those
sorts before mentioned. These they cut in
pieces bones aud all, and boiled them in the
aforesaid pattage Also, they boiled in this
fenntnty all sorts Of flesh taken in huntin.,
as vsnison bears flesh, beaver, moose, otter.
or raccoon, cut in small pieces They also
iaiNed with it several sorts of roots, as
Jerusal, III GrtichOke aud ground nuts, and
other roots AMI pumpkins and sQuashe+.
Also several kinds OF masts, rs oak acorns
'utstput7, Wtlnuts-tnase, huskcd and dried
and powdered, they thickened this pottage
tberowith'
Melons were raised in great abunlan a
" ere also gourd- Of all sizes, from the large
'oaiabasA' that would hold two or three
gallons TO the tIuy receptacle for pigments
u. Cd In painting for war. From the sap Of
the maple thcy made q aarse-grained sugar,
which, when mixed with freshly pounded
Indian meal and seasoned with dry whortl -
berries, was baked into "a dainty dish for
high festivals The dried meats Of oil nuts
pounded and boiled in water, was their bey-
eraG9 at SUCH feasts, and from the green
| WAX Of the bayberry they made candies
with rush Wicks, which gave clear light,
and yielded pleasant fragrance while burn
with tina c,,. ,bat tbo fau 5jlb W. 90
,,,gt, ,sI, " ~. 80, 80. IT. -, ,'!.I
!, ,-ns mot br,,.a,,o Gita the 80 ,f
orr davA sinrIv cnrnnosad II corn o,,,
beans ior Cochin teflIu, tbot "thav Fra.
or,.ntly roiI i, t8iso
.45.sIi,,f, - j., A., AI-.,,,,,,;,, .,.,.,,, -.
,irel a,,,lo ,Ttf,,,,. = ~ 49,, -, 70 %,
,r, r,,.,,l ,,.;.r, th,4 49, r,.,,it
! ,.r.,,., I.,fova +I,, a,-i,-sI If T,r,,,,,on.,
lay, IN INV r,s.,ssinn boyya,-o, s.,,,ar.aI ~,
r-ic.,l ror6,Iot;,a, or osrI,, ,-l,.,,,.,,.s .Iy,
Of which re.kons annles nmonS tbe eor,y
| native fruits. and unless crab stocks wnr,
| Ea,pI do not cloarl,y ava hos, tho lo,.,,
! ,rcbords r,entjo,,aI I,. the oar,,- ,,rit,,..
,c,,II bova haen' rn,do nro.I,,ctj,.a CO. sa,,,,-
! Mr. lyIco,t n di.t,n--,,isboI C,rno,ti,.,,t
| ..,.-.f.+,,to -, :, 49, -.
ma tl,, vo yeors ayfar +,,s - 80 , i-o
I frst rrgnte.1. ~ nal AM bo,sb,o.4s If
! cider. ON. of NV own orchard In one Won, >
( This Touli have bocp sln,ust i,np,ysil,io bo.l
! ba haan ,I1ira5 IN mic his orrhori f,1,,,
! seal or even had he rarrisd traos If s,cb
..5a ,- r,rIIl have r,,a,, t,a,e,,,.so3 tfro,,,-b
An, torllas. ,yiIfernas. Thoo,,,,Io NOV, 90
/ l.e ir.,,.-n.o,,s +I tLa srl Of NJ Eae,Ioi,J
and vat the Indians may have nossosSa5 II
{ AS they did Indian corn which uD5Oubta IL
came fro, tha sonth and which, wa., nov,
| found growing wild
AF-ar the sy,ri,r hr,r,ip, ,-bo,, +b. ,,,l.
Ie~ap 10 Iaaf tbe sonavs wn,,II cnltiv,to
ar rether would root mn the foIds with m.
n... s,,ouid,r-hlaaes o. the mnoss and tbar
mark die fnture hills bv maxim small
hole. tsb.,ut rour foot oparti vyith r,,I, boa
sr- b..3o Of which was large rl,n, sbell
| .... each hole thew 1yo,iId mt an ara,ff,
.-.--If ir some adjacent STREAM, OF a bar q
.,. .,gl fr,u Tia soeeHor, arg -, %,
...,f... r,..r..,,I 80, t,,If L., -,
- g,.,t 49,. -
......., f,.. ..,',,-e1s+5>,, ,e a. IT, ..,,
~ .rs r.. ,,, ,.I,.,, r.,, o,rta. ,,,,s sc,.,r,.,
...u-d ,be .t'l.s vftb ,iam-.halIS pntJ -n
49,. ,rar, rg,o loot Ii,n a mode NJ cnIt,,r
-..-.-r.o.r,l l,y rlnyyjn sItbougb soma nor
..ra.l.loli,r'Iv folJowinp il at the MA IN,
..g g...,,,,,I},- IN, s.,I,,s 3,ro,, -, ~. of.-.
...-. ir. b.f-i.t hssri,,-~ I'VE. cor. garh n,
,gs ars told that thara were ei-hs rows. con
! aiming thirty grains or over. on an c7,
! .r,y in S,rfaHber tine ears we're plucs.d