The Coconino sun., 1924-08-29

water development on the reserva-
tons, which is entirely in the hands
OF the irrigation service, represented
on the Hopi reservation by Mr.. Wal
mach.
Mr.. Taylor says that the work done
by the irrigation service men has
been exceptionally fine. Walmach
lives at Polacca. He has developed
many weak springs, saving them from
ultimate disappearance. In many
places cement troughs have been in
stalled for the watering of sheep. A
few years ago it was common sight
to see an Indian watering sheep with
a gallon lard pail, perhaps several
hundred sheep, some of them nearly
dead from thirst and fighting. In
some cases there were log troughs,
but the water was dipped into them
from the springs. This centering of
sheep for long periods around the
springs killed all the vegetation and
made the surrounding land veritable
dust heap. Now there is more water
and very little congestion of stock at
the watering places.
Also the Oraibi wash has cut down
to water in many places which helps
some.
This question of water-this is
desert country-and the lack of it has.
its influence on the farming done by
the Hopis. For they, are farmers.
As farmers of desert land where irri-
cation is impossible, except in some
cases where terraces comprising an
acre or so have been built to catch
the overflow Of large spring, as at
Hotevilla, the Hopis take the frosted
cake p,s
A government expert was sent to
the Hopis notslong ago to show them
how to dry-farm. After few weeks
he left, saying there was nothing he
could teach them, though he had
learned many things from them.
Their little patches of beans and
corn, watermeIons and other Vege-
tables and their peach, apple and pear
orchards are mystifying to anyone
who knows something of ordinary
farming and knows how seldom they
have rain on those sands. The corn
and beans just now are the most vivid
green imaginable-that deep, rich
dark green that indicates no lack Of
moisture or fertility. How do they
do it?
First, they plant corn or beans
about eight feet apart each way in
the rows. They plant the seeds very
deep. Then the winds blow and pack
the sand, which is almost impalpably
/ fine, so hard that the surface is herm-
etically sealed AS what moisture
there is in soil is always drawn up
ward by capillary attraction, it stays
up around the roots of the plants
but can't get out and evaporate,
Walking through one of these fields
or orchards, one finds the sand is.
packed as hard as clay, yet is not
cracked as clay or eoarser sand mixed
with other kinds of soil would be.
The Hopis plant, instead of two or
three seeds in hill, a dozen or even
twice that many. So that when the
winds drive the sands against the
plants, cutting some of them off
those within the group are protected
The average number of healthy stalks
standing in their cornhills at this time
when the corn is far enough advanced
so that it now is being eaten as green
corn, is more than a dozen. These
stalks average less than three feet in
height and the ears, which run from
three or four to dozen inches long
and are well filled with kernels, grow
within six inches of the ground.
The farms are small and scattered
around over vast territory at places
sometimes only an acre or 50 in size,
where the sand is just right and the
lay of the land such that wind condi
tions will be favorable.
The nearest railroad point is Hol-
brook, 86 miles southeast, though
some shipping is done from Flagstaff