The L'Anse sentinel., 1923-08-10
REAM| ar MN4lO N4LzE /.


| carefully placed by hand al the rate
Of seven or eight kernels to the nil.
After the first of June the beans were
put In, and lastly the squashes were
planted at the time when the wiid
roses bloomed.
At the completion of the planting
the hoelng began. and usually the
field was entirely hoed through twice
during the season. The hoeing was
done nth an implement having
handle abou. the length of mattocK
or pick handle with a blade made
from the shoulder-bade Of buffalo.
or occasionally an elk, or from
broad piece of buffalo horn taken from
the base near the skull.
The planting season and the doupie
round of hoeing usually consumed al
of the growing time. Most OF the. held
work was done In the early morning
hours, the women getting up win the
sun and going out TO the fields, OFTEN
accompanied by the young girls, where
they worked till the heat or the sun
began to be oppressive, or their mousse
hold duties called. In families where
there were several wives, each wire
usually had her own separate held or
fields. The SIZE of the individuai neid
ranged from one to four acres. When
family had planted from nine 10
twelve Indian, acres, about three OF the
acres of corn were used green-part
in a prolonged feast of roasted green
corn, and part boiled and dried Tor
winter use. The remainder of the field
was left to ripen. The average yield
of the Mandan corn is estimated TO
have been about twenty bushels per
acre.
When the priest pronounced the corn
ripe the whole village repaired to the
fields. The corn was snapped from
the stalk. husk and all, and thrown
into piles in the fields, whence 1t was
later carried in baskets to the drying
scaffold in front of the family lodge.
In the work of the harvest only did
the men take any part. At thar time
they labored in the fields with the
women. the prospect of feasts espe-
cially prepared for them being the
incentive.
After the corn was all gathered at
the scaffold all the good ears were
braided into strings or traces by the
busks. These braids and cache-pits
full we're the regular measurements of
the amount of corn. The poor ears
and nubbns were thrown loose on the
scaffold floor to dry, then thrashed out
on an old robe or tent skin with sticks.
As the corn was sorted for braiding
the very best-ripe, large straight-
rowed, .well-filled ears we're tucked
away into sack by themselves. These
we're later all braided together and
furnished the seed stock for the next
season. All the braided corn was
hung on the two-story stage or scaffold
TO dry and cure in the sun and air.
the whole frame and sides being COW
cred with braids.
When the corn was thoroughly
dried IL was taken down and stored
in cache-pits In the ground. These
pits were of bottle-like shape, five to
eight feet deep and four to six feet
In diameter underground, having ca
pacity Of from twenty to forty bushels.
They were carefully lined with dried
grass before putting In the corn anu
| when full were covered with grass,
board fitted snugly In the neck or mar
row entrance hole, and dirt filed In
and smoothed over to hide the opening.
Every Mandan village was pitted with
these caches, some of which were al
ways inside the houses. They were
opened during the winter when the
need arose.
In view of the success of the Man
dan Indians in raising corn. there
seems no reason why the higher plains
area Of North Dakota and neighboring
states cannot be brought into the corn
belt. a matter which has been much
discussed within the past few years
and regarding which there has been
considerable difference of opinion