Soil near the canyon's rim is too shallow and rocky to produce good
crops, but by traveling two or three miles to the north, land could be
found where the soil is deep enough to retain moisture. Here seeds could
be planted with a sharpened stick and tended with a stone hoe. No doubt
the cliff dwellers had summer camps near these fields where dark-eyed
watchers maintained constant vigil to keep away birds and squirrels
seeking to dig up the seeds, and later, the deer, rabbits and other
animals that came to eat the tender plants. What a struggle it must have
been to raise crops without benefit of steel tools, fences,
insecticides, and other advantages now considered necessary.
[Illustration: Planting with sharpened stick]
The Indians farmed at the upper limit of elevations where corn, beans,
and squash may be expected to mature, because of the short growing
season, which is usually not more than 115 days. Since they had no
Weather Bureau, they may have observed the vegetation like certain
eastern Indians who watched the oaks until the first leaves were as
large as a Red Squirrel's foot, when they knew it was time to plant
their corn. However, there must have been unseasonal frosts such as
occurred on August 15, 1949, when present day farmers in this vicinity
found their crops severely damaged or completely ruined. Then is when
the Indians needed a reserve supply of seed for next year's planting.
Sunflower seeds were also found in the dwellings, but whether these were
cultivated or gathered from wild varieties still abundant in this
vicinity is not known.
An understanding of the cliff dweller's farming activities may be
approached by studying the Hopi Indians who live on a reservation about
70 miles north of Winslow, Arizona. Most families have a farm or garden
plot where corn, beans, and squash are still the principal crops. At
Hotevilla some gardens are found on a terraced hillside, each garden
with an embankment around it to retain moisture, and producing a pattern
resembling a waffle when seen from above. Some Hopis travel four or five
miles on foot each day to cultivate their fields and return home with
the setting sun.