13S 



INDIAN'S OF THE SOUTHWEST. 



pods when they are green and later bean-like seeds 

 which are pounded into flour. The aniole, Yucca 

 haccaia, has a banana-shai)ed fruit which is cooked in 

 the ashes, and may then be dried for later use. The 

 agave, a century' ])lant, furnishes a large bulk of nutri- 

 tious food. The plants are watched until signs of the 

 flowering stalk appear when they are seven or eight 

 years old. The entire plant is severed near the base by 

 means of a chisel-shaped stick which is hammered with 

 a stone. The plant is then turned top down and 



Mescal Knife. San Carlos Apache. 



trimmed with a broad knife of native manufacture. 

 A leaf or two is left for a handle by which the stumps 

 are carried to a long deep pit used year after year. 

 This pit is thoroughly heated and filled with stumps, 

 A covering of earth is thrown over them and a fire 

 maintained on top for a day or more. The cooked 

 material is dried in the sun and packed in bales for 

 transportation to the camp. This food, while coarse, 

 is not unpalatable. 



There are many species of cacti, most of which have 



