474 INTRODUCTION TO ZtJNI CEREMONIALISM [eth. ank. 47 



no means unusual) and cool, almost cliilly, nights. In winter, espe- 

 cially in December, the nights are bitter cold, the days, for the most 

 part, mild and sunny. 



There are two periods of precipitation — in sunuiier from Jidy to 

 September, and in winter from December to March. The simamer 

 rains begin early in July, increasing in mtensity as the season ad- 

 vances. The rainy season ends about September 15. In summer the 

 sun rises every day in an unclouded sky of brilliant blue. By noon 

 this blue dome begins to fill with great puffs of white cumulus clouds, 

 increasing in density, with heavy black clouds along the southern 

 horizon. The late afternoon is generally marked by sudden and 

 violent showers of short duration. These showers, which are very 

 local, can literally be seen stalking out of the southeast just before 

 sunset. The storms increase in frequency, intensity, and duration 

 toward the close of the rainy season. The most destructive rains 

 occur in September. 



The winter jDrecipitation starts with Hght snowfalls early in Decem- 

 ber. December is a month of low temperatm-es and frequent snow- 

 falls. After the New Year the temperatm'e moderates, but the 

 weather continues very inclement, snow and rain alternatmg. There 

 is a great deal of fog and continuous downipours of cold rain. 



The spring months are marked by high winds of prevaihng westerly 

 direction. These winds from the open desert are laden with fine sand 

 and cause untold discomfort. The sand storms of May, strildng the 

 young corn, are especially destructive. 



ECONOMIC AND SOCIiVL LIFE 



The Zufiis have been agricultm'ists for many centuries. Since very 

 early prehistoric time they have raised maize, beans, and squash by a 

 system of chy cultivation.' From the first Spanish settlers they 

 obtained the seeds of wheat. This, however, could be grown only in 

 specially favored locahties which could be irrigated by hand from 

 large, permanently flowing springs. Recently, in 1909, the waters of 

 one fork of the Zufii River have been impounded behind a dam built 

 by the United States Government. From this reservoir sufficient 

 water is drawn to irrigate a strip of land on the noith bank of the 

 river, immediately adjacent to the ^illage. This strip, approximately 

 1 mile wide and 6 miles long, is well suited for the cidtivation of wheat 

 and alfalfa. Maize is still raised by old methods of dry farming on 

 sandy fields lying at a considerable distance from the village, mainly 

 situated on the south bank. 



From the Spaniards, also, the Zunis got their fu-st sheep. They 

 now own large and profitable herds. These are kept in remote parts 



' Zuni agricultural methods are admirably described in Cushing's Zuni Breadstuffs, Indian Notes and 

 Monographs, Museum of the American Indian, vol. vm, pp. 157ff. 



