Oic RURAL NEW-YORKER 
329 
An Indian Woman and Her Squash Crop 
'I'lio University of Minnesota has is¬ 
sued a monograph upon “Agrieulrure of 
the llidatsa Indians,” by Gilbert Living¬ 
stone Wilson, rii. I). The Hidatsas, 
who are associated with the Mandans, 
aie now living on a North Dakota reser¬ 
vation. and here the author of the above 
monograph met with Maxidiwiie, or 
i’nlTalobird-woinan. daughter of a former 
chief, who. while ignorant of English, 
possessed of quick intelligence and a mar¬ 
velous memory, was able to furnish an 
nnending fund of information about old- 
tiii'e Indian customs. .Tier jdctnre is 
shown at Fig. 1(>G. Her son. (Joodbird, 
e.viiiained that his mother knew more 
Maxidiwiac, or Buffalobird-Woman. Fig. 166 
:i!>ont s iiiash and Corn <-n]tnre th in any¬ 
one else on the ros(*rvati<tn. .Mnil until 
she was well on towards .'■(I xcars of age 
a small part of tJooilhii-d's jilowed held 
was reserved for her each ye.-ir, that sin* 
might jdant corn, beans and s inashi's. 
.ind cultivate them in the <d»i-fashion('fl 
way with the hoe, just a.s many a white 
farmer sets aside a garden patcli for 
‘•mother” to work in. Some of HiilValo- 
hird-woman’s corn, of her own planting 
and selection, took first prize at an agri¬ 
cultural fair on the reservation. 
In planting sipiash the seed was 
sjo-onted first. The seed was wetted, but 
not soaked, and mi.xed with sagebrn.sh 
and buckbru.sh leaves; then wr.-ipped in 
wet red-grass leaves, and the whole mass 
Indian Woman with Horn Rake. Fig. 167 
fidded in tanned bnll’alo hide. 'I'lie paek- 
age was linng oii tlie drying pole in the 
lodge, a little to one side of the tiro. 
After two da.\ s the Pundle was op •ncvl, 
and the seed moistened with tejiid \,:iter. 
whieh the gardener diiiped u]) with a 
horn spoon jind then blew out of her 
month; the seed was then liound up 
again, and by another day was rmidy to 
plant, being sprouted nearly iui inch. 
Two or three women worked together 
at the planting, one woman going ahead 
with her hoe, to loosen up the groir'd 
for the hill. 'I’he < Id-fe i.od ' ila 
ii . ’ ’ ■ ,,-i,vn 
was 
atra- >“d to a woouv x, nahdle about 
iiicnes loPg. The primitive rake, also 
pictured, is made from a deer's antler, 
attached to a handle about 42 inches 
long. Each hill for planting was made 
in the place wlmre a hill had been the 
year before. Four seeds were planted 
in i)airs on tin* side of each hill. They 
were not planted on top, for these In¬ 
dian women knew' that on level ground 
the surface would be beaten down by 
rain and baked hard so that the tender 
squash sprouts could not break thi-ough. 
The squash haivest began a little be¬ 
fore green corn came in. The .squashes 
were ])icked every four days, when about 
inches in diameter; the first pick- 
Indian Rake Made from Deer’s Antlers, Fjg.168 
ings being rniten grm'ii, the later dried for 
Winter. 
In addition to the fruits, squash blos¬ 
soms formed a part of the harvest. The 
Indians knew that two kinds of flowers 
gn'w on the s<|nash(‘s, one forming a 
fruit. Avhih' tin- others did not. because, 
as they said, it g'-ew at the wrong place 
among the h'aves. These staininate 
llowers were jiicked while fresh, dried, 
and then ))a<ked away for Winter, or 
they were used frt'sh. Hoth the fresh and 
drieil scpiasli blossoms were cook(>d with 
fa t. • 
The .siinaslu's wer,* sliced for drying, 
not mit fi'oni stem to blossom end, but 
across, then spitted on w.llow branches. 
'I'hese s|)its were ]dace<| aci-oss a drying 
Indian Spoon Made from Squash Stem. F!g. 170 
stage made of jioles. AVlnm snfiicimitly 
dry the squash was strung iq) < n grass 
twine and hung in tlie lodge until fit for 
storing, when jm.rt of it was jnit in r.iw- 
hide bags, to be taken to the A\'inter 
lodge, or used as food on a j<inrn(‘y, 
while the remaindi'r was stored away 
in a cache pit, covered w ith loose corn. 
Pecans in South Jersey 
It IS libelv that ]>(‘cans coidd In' grown 
in South .lersey'/ If they can wlil yon 
give me a few of the best variet'bg/ 
Nv. c. 
We are growing jiecan tiag-s as far 
north as New Ilrnn.swick, N. .1. Th(‘y 
»,.iv(‘ not b(‘en damagisl by even the 
coldest Winters in the jmst Ll yeai-s. 
However, it L doiditful whethei- they 
will evm- jiroiluce any nuts. I doubt 
whetln'r jiecan nuts can be jirodnceil in 
Southern Niwv .Tm-sey to any extmit. If 
one desires to jilant the trees simply as a 
novelty, and foi- shade, it is (uiiti' jiro- 
bable that tlu'v would withstand tiie cli¬ 
matic condition;', succi'ssi'ully. 
Jt. A. Jil.AKK. 
Curculio in Apples 
(Continued from page o2.o) 
the sun, thorough cultivation at the prop¬ 
er time to destroy the piqia' in the soil, 
the use of fertilizers to produce strong, 
healthy trees resistant to spray injury, 
are all important factors in the fight. In 
orchards so treated the number of cur- 
ciilios will be reduced to a minimum, and 
the orchardist will have the best chance 
to protect his crop by spraying.. 
C. R. CROSBY, 
This Kttgine Sprayer zvif! Corer an Acre in 6 mfnures 
Your War Problem 
YOUR boy—your neighbor’s boy, friends and relatives 
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There is only one way to increase production now— 
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The Government recognizes the vital importance of 
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