Newspapers / Jackson County Journal (Sylva, … / Aug. 10, 1923, edition 1 / Page 10
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) o he Indian and s zmziMcmrr. H&JKJ I&YOZZD 1 By ROBERT H. MOULTON i AIZE.or Indian corn. In its present form repre sputs one of the grout achievements of prim itive planters, the Xorth American In dian. It eiune orig inally, it is now gener a 1 1 y accepted, from ? m southern Mexico, and Isrmr I WMS ??ten by the Maya tribes. At first It whs nothing more than a coarse grass, on which were tiny ears resembling the top of the wheat stalk. Each grain hud its own envelope or husk. Occasionally, even now, grains of corn are found which have their original busk, thus showing bow the maize of our day reverts to type. The plant was essentially trop ical, and even now, after centuries of culture in the temperate zone, it is sensitive to frost. The tribes of North America saw the possibilities of the grain and has tened Its evolution. There has been cross-breeding by white farmers, yet as a matter of fact the corn culture of the present day Is practically as It came from the hand of the Indian. He has adapted and modified It to the various sections of the country by a process- of careful selection. It had been accepted for many years i that in the Dakotas and much of the Northwest It was impossible for the white farmers to grow corn because all the varieties tried were killed by frost. Recently It occurred to some j scientists that despite the drawback of the weather the Mandan Indians of the North were raising corn. An ex pedition made n study of the agricul tural methods of the Mandans, and it developed that for centuries the farmers of the tribes had been devel oping a hardy corn. The seed had been selected from year to year from stalks which showed no effect of frost. The stalks of this variety as so stunt ed that they are more like shrubs than the plant which Is common in other latitudes. One of the most interesting and re markable facts in connection with In dian corn Is that three tribes? the Hhlatsa, the Arikara nnd the Man dan who lived along the Missouri river and i|s tributaries in North Da kota, were practicing a highly devel oped system of corn culture at the time of the first recorded visit of the white man In 1738. Areheologlcal evi dence secured from the Indlun remains of the section lndicute that corn was being raised in this district three or four hundred years ago. As a matter of fact, Jacques Car tier, the first European to enter the | St. Lawrence, observed large fields of growing maize at Hochelaga (now Montreal) In 1534. exactly 3S9 years ago, and the tribes between northwest Mexico and the plains of Kansas were found to be growing It when visited fey Coronado in 1540. The ease with which maize can be cultivated and conserved, and Its bountiful yield, caused Its rapid extension nmong the Indians after it came Into use. With the exception of better tillage the method of its cultivation is much the wme today among civilized men as among the natives. One would naturally expect the southern and eastern Indians to be good corn raisers, as they lived in re gions of abundant rainfall and suffi cient summer heat. It Is really as tonishing. however, that the upper Missouri Indians, living under seml arld and northern conditions, should develop corn raising to a point that was not surpassed by any other tribe In America. This corn culture wus of such Importance that the early fur traders established a distillery In 1833 1 Cooking the Cook They were not so tied up with red tape a few hundred years ago as we are, and their Justice was more Ideal. In the yeur Henry VIII married his second wife, Anna Boleyn, one Rich ard Itose wus cook to the bishop of Rochester. Something went wrong with the soup one day, whereat six teen people died. It may Just have been that his pots were dirty; but he vas accused of trying to poison bis I I I XOllW/I/r TVAlgg' I2EZZ) ? ? nt Fort Union, which was located at the mouth of the Yellowstone river. Since the Indians were the first dry land farmers and corn raisers of the Northwest, the com history of thnt region naturally begins with them. Their corn was the last of the Indian | corn to he adopted by the white mini I and the early flint group of today Is i directly derived from It. According to Scattered Corn Wom an, an elderly Matidan matron, and ! daughter of the last Mandan corn [ priest, the Mandans had at one time what they considered to be thirteen distinct varieties of corn. The varie ties, some of which have now undoubt edly disappeared, were always kept separate and planted In separate fields to prevent mixing. Each family kept and planted one, two or three sorts, which were passed along from one gen eration to the next, and no other kinds were planted in the family fields. The fields were not large from our viewpoint, but when we think of the labor required in clearing and tending them with the rude Implements used, the size seems considerable. The In dian acre was not of definite s/ze. It consisted of seven rows of corn with n row of beans between each two rows of corn. The length of the rows, however, was not fixed, and the land occupied by the squashes, which were always a part of every garden, and by the sunflower, was not included in computing the acreage planted. As near as much questioning of Scattered Corn Woman revealed, an Indian acre would average between a third and a fourth of one of our acres In area. The fields were usually located both on the bottom lands and on the higher and drier first bench lands along the Missouri river. In the brushy bottoms the land was first cleared with a stone ax, a spot usually being selected where there were not more than one or two large trees, which were left standing. After cutting, the brush was burned in heaps on the ground, which was then raked over. After this the soil was dug up with a heavy, pointed ash stick some four feet long and one-half to two Inches in diameter, called a digging stick, in hills about twelve Inches In diameter and about a long step apart for corn. The beans were planted somewhat closer to gether. but all rows were a long step apart. The field was frequently fenced with brush or wlckerwork barrier to keep out the various animals, both wild and domesticated. When the fields had once been cleared the preparations for planting In ensuing years were not so arduous. The old stalks and vines, together with the dried weeds and brush still left on the field, were raked up with a rake of wood or of deer antlers, piled in heaps nnd burned. Then the old roots were removed and the hills were again dug up and the earth broken up with the digging stick and bone hoe. The first seed planted In the spring was the sunflower, which was put In around the outside edge of the field when the Missouri river broke up; thnt is, at the same time that the first field work started. Corn planting started about the first of May and was continued up to the first of June In I the larger fields, every kernel being master, and a8 he was a cook, he was boiled to death at Smlthfleld In the presence of a great crowd. Teaching the Child New Habits. Many young children accustomed to drinking milk from a bottle, do not ; care for it when the bottle habit Is stopped. A taste for It may be cul tivated, and the habit of drinking from a cup formed in this wny. If the child has a cup or mug which he likes very much, this should be filled sev eral times during the day and offered carefully placed by hand at the rate of seven or eight kernels to the hill. After the first of June the beans were put in, and lastly the squashes were planted at the time when the wild roses bloomed. ) At the completion of the planting the hoeing began, and usually the field was entirely hoed through twice during the season. The hoeing was done with an implement having a handle about the length of a nmttock or pick handle with a blade made from the shoulder-blade of n buffalo, or occasionally an elk, or from a broad piece of buffalo horn taken from the bape neai1 the skull. The planting season and the double round of hoeing usually consumed all of the growing time. Most of the field work was done in the early morning hours, the women getting up with the sun and going out to the fields, often accompanied by the young girls, where they worked till the heat of the sun began to be oppressive, or their house hold duties called. In families where there were several wives, each wife usually had her own separate field or fields. The size of the individual field ranged from one to four acres. When a family had planted from nine to 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 for winter use. The remainder of the field was left to ripen. The average yield of the Maudun 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 It 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 that 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 gnthered at the scaffold all the good ears were braided into strings or traces by the husks. These braids and cache-pits full were the regular measurements of the amount of corn. The poor ears and nubbins 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 were tucked away into a sack by themselves. These were 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 cov ered with braids. When the corn was thoroughly dried It 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 a ca pacity of from twenty to forty bushels. They were carefully lined with dried grass before putting In the corn anTI when full were covered with grass, a board fitted snugly in the neck or nar row entrance hole, and dirt filled 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. . r. 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 vftilch has been ranch discussed within the past few years and regarding which there has been considerable differen.ee of opinion. Removes Rutted Bolts. Operating on the principle of a screw jack is a new tool with which bolts or pins that have rusted fast can be removed from machinery. to him. He may drink at least part of whatever he finds in his cap and soon acquires the habit of cup-drlnk lng. Avoid other food so hunger may help him to form the habit. (' ? i # Co-Operation Important. The valuable man in business la the man who can and will co-operate with other men. ? Elbert Hubbard. Respect to Age. If you can't laugh at jokes of the age, laugh at the age of the Jokea. MARY GRAHAM BONNER. I CEOTMxT l? VtlltMl NWIM UMOH I ? GEORGIE'S TALKS Georgie Green Frog had been talk ing to muny old and wise frogs and lie had been asking them how he could become a more successful frog. He had been do ing very well. Iu the first place he was a sensible frog now and had outgrown all his foolish ways, and he had made a very careful study of all the best ways to catch flies and bugs without any ef fort. , To be sure he was willing to "Admired All tho Children." make fin efTort, but he didn't want to do more than he had to do. and it was pleasant to be able to sit on a stump and day-dream and nap and yet be able to awaken all of a sudden to get a little meal. lie was very clever at catching these delicious little meals that flew by him or stopped for a moment on his nose, not realizing what a careless thing that was for them to do. Hut still he wanted to be as successful a frog as ever a frog had been. So he asked the old frogs around what had been the things they had done which had made them so suc cessful. He stopped and talked with ninny a powerful and splendid frog, frogs who had been very clever and very wise and very successful. And he found that the pathways to success were not always smooth and straight and direct, sometimes they were hard, but they made the successes so worth while. He found many of the frogs who were so successful were not in the least snobbish. They were not conceited. They were pleasant and had most en gaging manners. And they were all glad to talk to Georgie Green Frog because they wanted to see the family of frogs become more and more fa mous and they thought perhaps It would help others to hear of their ex periences. They told him not to pay any at tention to excuses and not to* be too sensitive. Creatures often would not be any too kindly in what they would say when a creature was starting out. And he must not mind discourage ments. They said that the more creatures pulled together the better It was for everyone. And they told him that hard work and thought and patience were of great help. So after Georgle Green Frog had heard all the wise old frogs talk he went forth on that brilliantly sunny day. a day so bright and cheerful and warm that Georgle feli the whole world was smiting with him about his plans and his dreams of becoming a splendid big leader frog, a frog every one would respect and admire. He went about and saw how the fro^s were situated and helped them with their pond homes and admired the views they had and listened with pleasure to their stories of adventures and success. He admired all the children and he thought the markets about were of the best. He passed all about the pond and everyone seemed glad to have him as their leader, too. for though he was about to be their leader, they knew be would not be a conceited, mean leader. They knew he would be a real leader. For once Georgie Green Frog had been conceited and silly and then lie had gone away. The Pond Fairy had taken him to visit the Sbons, whose name when spelt the other way around is Snobs. They lived at Gums Landing, which really means Smug Landing. And Georgle had become disjrusted with it in no time at all and ever since then he had been such a nice friendly, sensible frog. Joining in all the frog ac tivities. He enjoyed singing In the Frog Glee club. which in the olden days he had been too proud to do. Oh yes, Georgie Grei*n Frog was a splendid frog, and that night, following the day when Georgie had been around to "in a Magnific see all of them, Fashion." they decided to huve a Frog Parade in his honor. They sang and they croaked and the Frog band played, and one frog acted as Drum Major and carried a splendid stic^ which he tossed up in the air in a magnificent fashion. Aud oh, how delighted Georgie Green Frog was when the parade came aud rtood outside his stump and said: "We've come to honor our Frog Leader, 'Georgle Green Frog is our I>eader. 'He'* a frog very well worth while. He'd a frog with an ever-ready smtle. 'Goog-a-room. goog-a-room. goog-a room. "We'vo coma to honor our Frog Leader." 7 r K- ? ? ' Real Meaning of Term "Sports" Not Understood The real meaning of the term "sports," as applied to fowls, i? net quite understood by a good many poultry keepers. Now, in breeding many varieties there will often come a chicken that is contrary to the parent birds, and the reason for this sometimes seems very strange. For example, those who have bred SHrer Laced Wyandottes know that frequently a tfhite one, and occasion ally a black one, will be produced, and it was the breeding together of these so-called sports that gave us the two distinct colors, the White Wyandotte and the Black Wyandotte, as we know them today. Where very lightly laced birds are used j there is a greater tendency to J white, and just the opposite when a j very heavily laced bird is used, the sport here co/aing black. Partridge Wyandottes will also throw a few white ones, and those who breed them in big quantities will produce perhaps four or five white ones dur ing the year. Another common example of "sports" is found in the fact that oftentimes a rose comb breed will throw a single comb fowl. There is always an occa sional tendency In this direction, and it does not prove that the parent stock is bad, nor that it does n<* measure up to the required purebred standard. Muny of our present-day breeds are tae results of working from sports. The black Plymouth came first from the barred, and for years no one ever heard of a male chicken coming black, these being all females. Today we have a distinct breed known as the Black Rock. It i6 probable that all of our more than a hundred modern varieties of poultry descended from the one kind of original Jungle fowl. In fact, most of our now numerous varieties hare been created during the past 40 or 50 years. The old breeds, like the Black Langshans, do not often pro duce sports, for the reason that they have been bred pure for many hun dreds of years, perhaps for thon- 1 sands of years. lJut modern breeds, j such as the Orpingtons, Khods Island Beds, etc., are given to producing sports. Movable Roosting Coops Good for Young Fowls When the chicks are old enough to leave the brood coops and when they j are weaned from broody hens or brood- | ers, they grow so rapidly that they | need more room. To meet this re- | quirement, poultrymen use what are j known as roosting coops. These are structures about six feet long, three feet wide, three feet high in front and two feet high at the rear. They have waterproof roofs, but the front side and one end, or the front side and two ends, are covered with wire so that the air can circulate through freely in warm weather, but hostile animate caunot get in. To keep out driving rains or for use ! in cooler weather, particularly when the chicks are first put In and the nights are chilly, curtains of cloth or burlap are attached to the tops of the open sides so that they can be rolled ! down and fastened to protect the chicks when necessary. The curtain covering each side is made separate from the othora so that much or little space may be left open according to requirements and according to which way the wind blows or the storm drives. Thes little bnlldings should be mov able and it is a good plan to place them on skids with rounded ends so that they can be drown from place to place, thus affording n fresh, new locntion ev ery day or two. Many poultry keep ers block up these little houses so that there Is a space between the floor and tha ground which affords a cool, shady place for the chicks during hot days. Poultry Notes Don't crowd ; better sell some of the birds and make room. ? ? ? When lice come into the hen house, profit usually goes out. ? ? ? ; Lively chicks come from the eggs laid by hens of good breeding and vi tality. ( ? ? * A hen that will lay during the fall shows her persistence and value as a good producer. ? ? ? Ducklings need plenty of fresh wa ter In dishes dvop enough for them to wash their eyes and nostrils. / ? ? ? Oatmeal and buttermilk, either fresh or In the dried form, are two of the best developers for growing chlcka. * ? ? The warm-weather chick Is not of so robust a type, as a rule, as the early one, the pnrent stock often be ing run down and less vigorous. ? ? ? Vigorous breeding stock Is the first ewentlal for healthy chicks, but some times when a good start Is made neglect and Improper care work havoc ? ? ? Duck eggs and ducklings are mor< readily available, and about 20 cent* apiece Is a fair price for freBh eggB Ducklings can be ahlpped fairly nr cessfully. To J "Hardly a man co]r;?>? I don't tell about Tanhie y,^ Tate, 503 E. Main St. < Va., Battery Repairer fur lr-.\ rV-"* Hill Co. > ' . "All my life I suff. rM fr,,m pation and for three yours T,#>t * stomach was In such terriU? sv...* could eat barely enough to kmr,""' and soul together. My r..r\^ shattered, neuralgia almost me at times, and 1 wns cv^ bo fast It was a quest!. a h.,R longer I could last. "I was tempted to qui- . . _? lac after my second lur.lo. t.?. ? ? nutely, I stuck to tb>- T.-ii It Increased my weiuh- :,n.! a well man. I took te\ !;:>? spring but haven't f? It t : . 6tipation or any ot Just put me down in'M i.-k as being strong for Tm. Tanlac Is for sale bv . gists. Accept no sulci.- uv. million bottles sold. ''Ut ':>i Tanlac Vegetable Pi1 own remedy for cons' : everywhere. ? Advertise r.? \ Uncertain. "Do you believe originated with Adai'iV" "Well, Adam or. abut I CHILDREN CRY FOR "CAST?' Especially Prepared for InfaJ and Children of All Ages Mother ! Fletcher'" C-isforia been In nse for over ;{0 years to rcllen babies and children of Pnn?tlpatfn Flatulency, Wind Colic nnd r>irtrrh?t allaying Feverishness arising thm from, and, by regulating the stonuj nnd Bowels, aids the assimilation i Food ; giving natural sleep withos opiates. The genuine bears sip:it-H A farmer boy Is naturally curing to find out if he has talent fur mi:.*] thing besides farming. Thousands Have Kidnej Trouble and Never -Suspect It Applicants for Insurance Often Rejected. Judging from reports from drogpit who are constantly in direct touch r.tj the public, there is one prep* ration tin has been very successful in owrcomai these conditions. The mild and h?b| influence of Dr. Kilmer's SwanajtRoot i soon realized. It stands the highest \t its remarkable record of success. \ An examining physician for one of tb prominent Life Insurance Cohjpaniw, J an interview on the subject, mAde the * tonishing statement that one reason r? so many applicants for insuraw-c arc ? jected is because kidney trouble i? ' common to the American people, and a large majority of those whose app!icit:-S are declined do not even suspect that have the diseasp. Dr. Kilmer's Swisf Root is on sale at all drug stores in bo:* of two sizes, medium and large. However, if you wish first to te=t peat preparation send ten cents to ft Kilmer ft Co., Binghamton, N. V, 1* sample bottle. When writing be sure ? mention this paper. ? Advertisement. It is buying without thinking t-1 fills the market with so many F** second-hand bargains. To Have a Clear, Sweet Skin Touch pimples, redness, roughs^ or Itching, If any, with Cuticara 0* ment, then bathe with Cutlcura S4 and hot water. Itinse, dry gen tlj ^ dust on a little Cuticuru Talctio ' leave a fascinating fragrance on & Everywhere 25c each. ? Advertises** Dessert is an edible which n~ and goes with company. . Safe instant relief from CORNS Ou mtmmt-toJ tfc? p?ia o I ti<' "J ?ai?l Th.n wi.t Dr Mailt io?ltftiy. TW tiwn On MlMiK,?lldU 1 tlx lwi'?U? * ? 7^ ?toU mfrction CO?T?K? H' I!Z > ^o?<U?Ur * Wschom Zino'p*? jm, <? f ?TV.'* lit0*'' vjt c* . "tV" * jZkS'tr" Put one on?thtP0*" 1
Jackson County Journal (Sylva, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 10, 1923, edition 1
10
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