The Old and, the New in Corn Culture. 11 



pounded and sifted until it was a very fine meal. Sometimes 

 dried fruits, such as cherries, were pulverized with it. The 

 food was carried on hunting expeditions and in time of war. 

 One-fourth of a pound, diluted in a pint of water, was a 

 good dinner. 



Succotash was a dish prepared by New England and mid- 

 dle-western tribes. Corn was cut from the cob, placed in a 

 kettle with a quantity of beans, and then boiled. Salt and 

 butter were added as seasoning. 



According to Dr. Walter Hough, of the National Museum, 

 the Hopis had 52 kinds of corn foods. One of the main 

 ones was prepared as follows: Large pits were dug in the 

 sand. They were heated with burning brush, filled with 

 roasting ears, and tightly closed for a day. When the pit 

 was opened, corn feasts were held. 



Hominy was a food used by most of the northern and mid- 

 dle-western tribes. Wood ashes were used to make lye 

 water for removing the hulls. Flint corn kernels were 

 placed in the water with the wood ashes. The water was 

 boiled until the hulls were removed, then rinsed off, put into 

 another kettle with clear water, and boiled. 



A food of the Gros Ventre Indians, called " husared," 

 was prepared by grinding corn and placing it in corn husks. 

 The husks were folded over with the corn on the inside, tied 

 up, and then dipped into boiling water. 



Corn smut [Ustilago sea) was often used as a food by 

 some tribes. The Gros Ventre tribe gathered the smut, 

 boiled it, dried it, broke it into bits, and ate it with corn as 

 a relish. It is said to have tasted like corn and was very 

 palatable. 



PRIMITIVE AND MODERN METHODS OF CULTURE. 



The evolution in methods of corn culture since the primi- 

 tive days when the Indians cared for their main food plant 

 may seem very striking. In comparing, however, the prac- 

 tices of the red man with our modern methods of corn cul- 

 ture, we must not fail to recognize his ingenuity and fore- 

 sight. Modern tools were not available. Years of experi- 

 mental evidence as to the wisdom of this or that step were 

 wholly lacking. In view of these facts, the Indian's utili- 

 zation of materials at hand and his methods of procedure 



