126 INDIANS OF THE SOUTHWEST. 
The farms as a result are not only very fertile but they 
are easily worked, since this deposit is very friable. 
Besides using the flesh of the domesticated animals, 
the Pima and Papago successfully hunted the antelope 
and deer which were found scattered generally over their 
habitat. Mountain sheep still are found on the moun- 
tains of southern Arizona and northwestern Mexico. 
Notwithstanding that much of the country is classed 
as desert, valuable wild food is secured in large quanti- 
ties. The most esteemed seems to be the giant cactus 
or sahuara. The native year begins with the sahuara 
harvest which is celebrated by one of the important 
festivals. The fruit is gathered in the early part of 
July. The ripe fruit is dried and pressed into large 
cakes consisting of the edible pulp and the small black 
seeds. The dried pulp is boiled for a long time and 
ground on a metate before it is eaten. The seeds are 
separated, ground, and mixed with water to form a 
gruel. Food in this form, fine ground corn, wheat, or 
seeds, eaten either dry or mixed with water, is known as 
pinole in the Southwest. From the fresh sahuara 
fruit the extracted juice is boiled and allowed to ferment. 
The wine so secured is a main feature of the harvest 
festival. 
The mesquite furnishes food in considerable quanti- 
ties. The pods are edible. When dry they are easily 
pulverized, producing a sweet and very agreeable flour. 
There are various species of cactus which are used for 
food. The barrel cactus when crushed furnishes a large 
quantity of liquid which is a good substitute for water. 
The desert flora, moreover, is fairly independent of 
seasonal rains. 
