82 INDIANS OF THE SOUTHWEST. 



Since the gulch was ordinarily a dr}' one, the water 

 did not stand for any length of time but enough of it 

 sank into the ground to supply what moisture was 

 needed for a crop of corn. 



Quite contrary to the usual custom among the North 

 American Indians, the men till the fields and do the 

 greater part of the work connected with raising and 

 harvesting the crops. This is probabl}^ because in the 

 Southwest agriculture is the chief means of securing 

 food while in other regions it is of less importance than 

 hunting and fishing to which the men principally 

 devote themselves. The only primiti\'e implements 

 used in tilling the soil appear to have been the planting 

 stick and a knife-like wooden paddle w^hich served as a 

 hoe or shovel. Castaneda tells us the ground was not 

 broken before planting the seed. He, of course, greatly 

 exaggerated the productiveness of the soil when he said 

 that one crop was sufficient for seven years. He 

 mentions large quantities of corn in Galisteo Valley 

 stored in underground chambers. The Hopi Pueblos 

 still maintain at least a full year's supply of corn to 

 guard against crop failure. 



After the corn is gathered it is thoroughl}^ dried 

 either by hanging it in long braids or by spreading it in 

 the sun on the roofs of the buildings. It is stored in the 

 back rooms of the low^er stories w^here the braids are 

 hung up and the loose ears piled in tiers. The pump- 

 kins and squashes are cut in long strips which are twisted 

 together and hung about the houses together with 

 many strings of red peppers. 



