WHOLE VOL. ARAUCANIAN CHILD LIFE — HILGER 185 



onions, chili, garlic, and occasionally corn, radishes, and tomatoes. 

 Garden herbs used in seasoning are peppermint (yerba buena) and 

 native mints, oregano, and tomillo. The man or older son generally 

 prepares the soil of the garden. The woman does the planting and di- 

 rects older daughters, and sometimes younger sons and daughters who 

 are old enough, in assisting her. Helpers may lay claim to parts of the 

 garden and take the responsibility for them. "Small children will point 

 out patches of potatoes, carrots, onions, etc.," said a teacher, "and will 

 say, 'They belong to me : I planted them.' " Until the garden has 

 sprouted, small girls, and sometimes boys too, must be on the alert to 

 chase away the small green parrots, which also infest wheat fields at 

 seeding time. Generally school-age children weed and hoe the garden 

 with the help of the mother; or if the mother is incapacitated, her 

 husband will take over. 



Those who believe that wheat should be planted at the waning of 

 the moon believe that potatoes and gardens should be planted at that 

 time, also. Quoting a 50-year-old Conaripe man: "No, the effect 

 does not lie in the earth ; most certainly the earth is always the same ; 

 the effect lies in the moon. I follow the old custom, but, in truth, I 

 do not have much faith in planting with the moon." 



Nearly every household has adopted items of European horticulture. 

 Rarely is a ruka seen that does not have one or more apple trees ; an 

 occasional one has a cherry, pear, or peach tree. Gooseberry bushes 

 also were seen occasionally. There were flowers in nearly every 

 garden and often along fences or walls of rukas. A Coiiaripe family 

 had a fenced-in flower garden that had been planted by the seven 

 children of the family. It contained dahlias, hollyhocks, sweetpeas, 

 bachelor buttons, pansies, daisies, and sunflowers. Seeds of vegetables 

 and flowers were obtained at Mission stations, or bought at Chilean 

 stores, or had been harvested from one's own or a relative's or friend's 

 garden. Shade trees near rukas were often native pine trees, but a 

 few homes had a eucalyptus or a chestnut tree, seeds of both having 

 been brought into the areas in recent years by Europeans. (PI. 21, i.) 



DOMESTICATED ANIMALS, GRAZING 



According to Cooper's sources (1946, pp. 703-705) domesticated 

 animals in the early days were the dog, used in hunting; the llama; 

 maybe the guinea pig ; and in the south, the guanaco. The llama was 

 bred for its wool and to serve as a pack animal ; it was used, also, in 

 payment of the bride price and as a sacrifice in religious ceremonials. 

 Its meat was eaten only at important social or religious feasts. Neither 



