The Raymer enterprise., 1917-08-09

MOOD we must have for ourselves and
our allies and that We can make this
country the granary Of the world is
due to that magician Of the globe
the aboriginal Burbank-the North
American Indian.
T.ss1,e.~aO There are many who hail the red
man as the greatest OF agricultursts.
AAN for his work on this continent In de-
veloping and cultivating food plants
has been nothing short Of colossal Not only staple
products but also numerous varieties Of edible
grains vegetables and fruit. owe their present
useful forms to his skill. II Is a popular falacy
that the Indian was merely hunter. that he lived
n haphazard and hand-to-mouth existence by fish
Ing and the chase and that his tilng the soil was
only an Incident OF his communal life. II Is late
day to give the guerdon Of recompense to a race
which so many times kept our forefathers from
starvation and furnished the cornstalk bridge on
which civilization came to these shores, and yet
even now credit should be given where 1t Is due.
Most Of the valued articles Of diet OF which the
discoverers and explorers OF the early day found
the Indian In possession was not indigenous at all,
and many Of them came originally from tropical
countries many thousands Of miles distant The
Indian tribes made frequent war excursions to
the lower latitudes and brought back grains and
vegetables Of all kinds which they used as seed.
Maize, or Indian corn, In Its present form repre-
sents one OF the great achievements Of primitive
planters. II came originally, II is now generally
accepted, from southern Mexico and was eaten by
the Maya tribes. At first II was nothing more than
II course grass which were tiny ears resembling
the top Of the wheat stalk. Each grain had Its own
envelope of husk. Occasionally even now grains
OF corn are found which have their individual
husk, thus showing how the maize Of our day
reverts to type. The plant was essentially tropical
nd ftar NJ rulftiye N the
perate zone II is sensitive to frost.
The tribes OF North America saw the possib
ties of the grain and hastened Its evolution. There
has been crossbreedng since by white farmers, yet
as matter of fact the culture OF the present
day Is practically 1t came from the hand of the
Indian He has adapted and modified II to various
sections Of the country by process of careful
selection.
All the kinds Of corn which exist today are de-
scrbed In the accounts of the white settlers
Black and red corn, the white corn, the yellow
corn are all mentioned. not forgetting the soft
sweet variety, the so-called gummy corn OF the
Indians. The culture of corn was more than
farming-it was a religion. The selection of the
seed for the next planting was done with such
care, the various colorings were so studied and
modified that there grew up veritable maize ira
dltion
All the methods OF raising corn were taken over
directly by the early settlers, and although there
have come into being mechanical appliances for
Moving planting and harvesting, the methods
have really not changed since they were de-
veloped by the Indian. The ground was loosened
with hoes made either of wood or OF bone or
antler or flint with wooden handles. The we'll
chosen grains were put In holes made by planting
sticks IL the planting season had been delayed
by frost the Indians soaked the grain In water so
that lost time might be made up in termination
Frequently little heebore or some other power
full drug was added to the water. This did not In
lure the grain and either stupehed or killed any
Of the crows which might dig up the seed. Often
snares were laid for the feet OF the BIRDS, ana
later fantastic human figures were placed In the
corn clearings the precursors Of the modern scare
crows The weeds were hoed away from the young
plants. and us the season advanced the young corn
was hiled The main work of cultiyatng corn
was done by women among the Eastern tribes,
while in the tribes Of the West and the Southwest
the crop was looked after by the men,
The planting of the corn was in reality fes-
t;vaI as was the harvesting The success which
attended the development OF the scraggy little
tropical plant TO the splendid stalk often IL feet
tall and with ears foot and half long, as specl-
mems of the raising Of the lroquols are described
WIS due to the zeal and the scrupulous care OF the
p,anters inspired by romance. Corn In the Indian
tradition became the food which came direct from
tho breast of Mother Earth. The keeping OF the
,rorer seed was matter Of sentiment and of
fa,th. Mighty Mmdamln, committed to the grave.
r.s ~ rise again. and II the duty Of the tillers