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Digging stick. The earliest agricultural implement was the digging stick. It was used in planting maize and other crops, as a lever to pry out bushes when clearing the ground, as a pick when digging irrigating ditches, and in case of surprise it made an effective weapon of defense. It was made of ironwood or from the spiny tree, Zizyphus lycioides. The short handle necessitated a crouching or sitting position by the operator. (Fig. 10, a.)

Shovel. Wooden shovels were used to throw out the earth that usually required loosening by the digging stick when constructing the irrigating canal. They were of cottonwood, in the case of the larger, lighter ones, or of mesquite. The handle and blade were in one piece, the former being very short and the latter having the natural curve of the trunk from which it came. (Fig. 10, b.)

Hoe. Another implement of early adoption by the Pimas combined the functions of spade and hoe. It was used to loosen the soil around plants and to cut away weeds. It was made of ironwood and was thin, hard, and heavy. As it was quite short and curved but slightly it could be used only when the workman was in a kneeling or sitting position. It was sharpened along the convex curve at the wider end. The entire implement was so thin that it must have chafed the hands. But one specimen was found on the reservation (fig. 10, c).

Dibble. The implement described above was superseded by one obtained from the Mexicans who frequently came to trade with the Pimas. The new implement more nearly resembled the primitive digging stick than it did the flat "hoe" (fig. 10, d). It was furnished

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