The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1918-05-17
INDIAN GROWERS OF MAIZE
a Review Of 5ook op Much Inter
est and Va ue,

"htSh prevail ABOUT the North Amer
lean Indian is more firmly fixed in
the populer mind than the belief that
he subsisted wholly by the chase. We
picture the Indian as setting his
snares for game, stealing through
the forest in pursuit Of deer, driving
the buffalo over the precipice. or. In
later times. speeding along the skirts
OF the flying buffalo hMd and driv-
ing the arrow feather deep into the
great beast, whose flesh and skin he
needed for food and clothing; and all
these things he did.
Yet. those who know something
about Indians are well aware that
the natural fruits Of the earth fur
nished a considerable portion OF
their Subsistence: that they. dug
roots, collected berries and harvest
ed nuts. Besides that, agriculture
often supplied considerable part OF
their food. and in many parts of the
United States certain tribes devoted
much time to the cultivation of the
soil and the harvesting of their
crops.
America gave to the world tobacco,
the potato. and Indian corn or maize.
This most important cereal, says
Brinton, was found in cultivation
from the southern extremity OF
Chilli TO the fftieth parallel OF N
Latitude. The nations of the Allan
tic coast cultivated corn as did
those of the Gulf of Mexico and the
Missippi Valley-though not those
of the Pacific Coast--and in many
cases this corn constituted their
chief subsistence and was their sta
pie product. In the famed Indian
mounds and in the ruins of the pre-
historic pueblos of the southwest
corn, corn cobs and imprints OF corn
IN brunt clay have been found. II is
said that in 1887 a French officer
destroyed for the Iroquois a quanti-
ty of corn. estimated at 100000
bushels, while much later, among
the same people, Gen. Sullivan des-
troyed vast quantity of corn and
cut down orchards, q one of which
alone contained fifteen hundred APP
pie trees. Besides corn ana tohacco.
beans, squashes, pumpkins, sweet POI
tatoes, and sunhowers were cultivat-
ed. In parts of the dry southwest the
crops were irrigated. as shown by
Ithe still lexisting remains OF ditches
in New Mexico and Arizona.
A large volume might be written
ON the agriculture of our Indians,
and on small section of it--"Corn
Among the Indians of the Upper Mis-
souri"-a book of much interest and
value, has recently been prepared by
George F. Will and George L. Hyde
and published by the w. Harvey Min
er Co. Inc, of St. Louis, Mo. This
volume seems to have been suggest
ed by the experiments of the late
Oscar c. Will. of Bismark. N. D..
who, in 1881. first recognized the val
ue of the Indian varieties of corn
grown in the Upper Mississippi Val
ley and then began the work of ex'
perimenting with them for the bene-
/ fit of the farmers of the new and at
that time sparsely settled counry.
/ When the American settler came
into the untitled northwest, he had
with him seed corn grown in his
former home, and. failing to recog
nize that the new region presented
new conditions of soil and climate
he planted his corn that he had
brought With him, and often without
much success. on the other hand
the Indian tribes had been growing
corn in that region for centuries, and
during those centuries had learned
by experience the best seed and the
best methods by which to grow their
crops. 1t was TO adapt the local seed
and the local methods to the uses oi
/ the incoming settlers that the late
Mr.. Will began his experiments.
/ The volume before us gives excel
/ lent descriptions of the different
sorts of corn grown by the various
agricultural tribes. and incidentally
/ furnishes much Information relative
I to the other vegetable foods thai
/ they grew. After the introduction fol
+ lows a general discussion of the Up
Der Missouri Indians. their life anC
+ agriculture, their planting and cult
vation. the harvesting Of their crops
+ corn as a food, as an article Of trade
as an object that was sacred. the Ger
emonies connected with the corr
and its different varieties. Of whiC'
are listed the sorts cultivated by nl
less than twelve different tribes AMI
besides these. certain other yaritie.
from the southwest, such as the Ma
vajo. Hopi. Zunl Cherokee. and
number of oilers.
The work is illustrated BY e1ErT
irgs ot many different corns-ErUv
ing plants and seed-as well al
squashes. corn prepared for dryin.
and portraits Of some famous PLAN
ers Of the Ma1dan village