Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1916-09-14
METHODS OF DAKOTA'S
FIRST CORN FARMERS
INDIAN TRIBES CORN SUCCESS
DATES FROM 20 YEARS BACK,
ON MISSOURI

AS a contribution to Indian corn
literature the description following of
some methods evolved by the first
farmers on the plains is interesting
and of practical value. The writer,
E. w. Hall, agricultural agent of Will
liams county, was born and raised
among the TT. Berthold Indians. The
Indian, in the very early days, found
corn to be an important aid to sub
sistance: to make a success OF corn
growing he exerted all of his instinc-
tive Judgment, according to many au-
thorities. Mr.. Hall says:
The Indians on the Ft. Berthold In
dian reservation in northwestern
North Dakota have raised corn long
er than the oldest members of the
tribe can remember. Their fields have
been located all along the Missouri
river through North Dakota. One
field. located near the old village,
where all three tribes, Mandan, Eros
Ventre apd Arikarees, lived together
for some years, has been under cultl-
walton for at least seventy-two years.
Beans and squash were raised, beside
the principal crop, corn.
One Of the important operations IN
Indian corn culture is the curing OF
the seed. The seed is picked early
but no particular field selection is
made. The corn is husked and spread
out on corn scaffolds which are made
by setting four or six posts, forked
at the top, and poles placed along the
tops and then covered with willows:
This allows circulation of air around
the corn because willows are not solid
al
enough together to keep the ears from
falling through. The scaffold is about
six feet from the ground. The corn
is spread out all over the top of this
scaffold and left there through rain
and shine until it is perfectly dry. The
best ears are picked out for seed and
nut in boxes or barrels and stored in
the house, or, in the old days, the corn
was buried in cache holes deep in the
ground. Other supplies such as beans,
SQUASH and the feed corn were also
buried in these cache holes.
The principal thing. in this Indian
curing process is getting the corn
perfectly dry. Practically every In
dian house at the present time has
an one Of these corn drying scaffolds in
front of the house and this scaffold
has always been part of the homes
equipment.
The writer asked one old Indian
man how he tested his corn. He said
that he did not test it because he
knew it was good and would grow. 1t
always did. The stand in every In
dian field proves his statement. It is
very rare to find missing hill. Dry
seed is the reason for this. Even
the fields in the summer of 1916, when
the year previous, 1915, was poor
wear, are practically perfect stands.
The Mandan Indians have 'keep-
er of the corn.' A daughter of their
former chief holds the Office at pres
ent and it is her sacred duty to pre-
serve the seed from year to year. She
cultivates her field very faithfully and
cures the seed and preserves 1t very
carefully. This is splendid example
to the white man Of the value of good
seed corn and caring for it carefully
The exact method used by the In
dians in curing seed may not apply
to our corn as the dent contains
so much water and does not get as
ripe or as dry in the field, as the flint
corns, but the principle applies to any
corn, that is to get the seed dry. There
is no question but what there would
be a much better supply of good seed
corn in North Dakota from home
grown fields, and good seed too, if the
farmer would go through his fields
and pick his corn in a wagon and
spread it out on scaffolds to dry dur
ing the fall. 1t certainly is far su-
perior to the all too common method
of picking seed corn out of the shock
or bundle during the fall or winter,
or not saving seed at all and depend
ing on the seed firms for seed that
may be shipped in and is not raised
in the immediate locality.
Much can be learned from Indian
corn culture and the North Dakota
farmer is going to prize the Indian
corn more highly as the years go
bv and he raises more hogs and sheep.
These classes of livestock will harvest
the corn in the field without any
waste.
In anv event take this lesson from
the Indian. Get the corn out early
and dry it thoroughly if you want to
have good seed.