404 The Tinguian 



in. comparison with rice the cultivation of other crops becomes in- 

 significant. Nevertheless, a considerable amount of food stuff, as well 

 as of plants and trees used in household industries, are planted in 

 prepared land ; while many of wild growths are utilized. The following 

 list is doubtless incomplete, but still contains those of special value to 

 this people. 1 



Next to rice the camote (Convolvulus batatas) is the most important 

 food product. Occasionally it is raised in the gardens or rice terraces, 

 but, as a rule, it is planted in hillside clearings from which one or two 

 crops of rice have been removed. The tuber is cut into pieces, or run- 

 ners from old plants are stuck into the ground, and the planting is 

 complete. The vine soon becomes very sturdy, its large green leaves so 

 carpeting the ground that it even competes successfully with the cogon 

 grass. If allowed, the plants multiply by their runners far beyond the 

 space originally allotted to them. The tubers, which are about the 

 size of our sweet potatoes, are dug up as needed, to replace or supple- 

 ment rice in the daily menu. Both roots and plants are also cooked and 

 used as food for the pigs and dogs. 



Aba (Colocasia anti-quorum Schott) is raised, 2 but as it requires a 

 moist soil, and hence would occupy land adapted to rice, it is chiefly 

 limited to the gardens. It has large fleshy roots which are used like 

 those of the camote, while the leaves and young shoots are also cooked 

 and eaten. Other tubers known as obi (Dioscorea sp.), gakad (Dios- 

 corea divaricata Blanco), annaeg (Dioscorea fasciculata) , and kamas 

 (Pachyrhizus angulatus D. C.) are raised to a limited extent in the 

 gardens. 



Corn, mats, bukel, and red corn, gasllan (Zea mays L.) seems to 

 have been introduced into Abra in comparatively late times, for despite 

 the fact that it is one of the most important crops, it has neither 

 gathered to itself ceremonial procedure, nor has it acquired a place 

 in the folk-lore. A considerable amount is raised in the village gardens, 

 but generally it is planted by dibbling in the high land. When ripe, the 

 ears are broken from the stalk, the husks are turned back, and several 

 are tied together. These bunches are then placed over horizontal poles, 

 raised several feet from the ground (Plate LVIII), and after being 

 thoroughly dried, are hung from the house rafters. The common method 

 of grinding is to place the corn on a large stone, over which a smaller 



1 Most of the identifications here given were made by Dr. Elmer D. Merrill, 

 botanist of the Philippine Bureau of Science, from specimens collected by the 

 writer. 



' Known generally throughout the Philippines as gabi. 



