INDIAN CORN. 



145 



offered by the aspen-covered ridges, or the thin strips of 

 timber on the immediate banks of the rivers. 



In order to reach John Spence's house, I passed 

 through a field of Indian corn, and from the proprietor I 

 obtained the following statement respecting the culti- 

 vation of this valuable grain. The kind of Indian corn 

 most common in the settlements is called the Horse-teeth 

 corn, and it does not always ripen. The variety sown by 

 Spence he termed the Mandril corn, the seed was pro- 

 cured from the Indians near the head waters of the Mis- 

 souri ; probably the " Mandan corn " would be the correct 

 name. He had cultivated it for two years ; it ripened 



Prairie Portage, Assinniboine River. 



well both years. One of his neighbours, a Cree Indian, 

 had cultivated it for four years and had not met with any 

 failure. Spence sowed his corn on the 1st June, and 

 gathered it 10th September, or after a period of 102 days. 

 In dry seasons it ripens earlier, and is planted about the 

 20th of May ; the wet spring of the present year retarded 

 all agricultural operations. A small house adjoining the 

 one in which Spence resided I found filled with a portion 

 of his corn crop. 



The road from the village of Prairie Portage follows 



VOL. I. L 



