144 usp:KrL plants of guam. 



doiirth of lice on llio isluiid. One reason for the small size of tliccrops 

 is the diriiciilt}' of ohtaiiinio- hihor. Nearly ever3'bod3' has a ranch of 

 his own, and prefers to reap all the benefits of his own labor rather 

 than to share them with an employer. 



Maize was introduced from Mexico at a ver}^ earlj' date/' and soon 

 became the pi'incipal food staple of the early missionaries and the 

 soldiers sent to assist them in the con((uestof the islands. With maize 

 came tiie Mexican metate and mano, a low inclined stone slab supported 

 oj\ three leo^s on which tortillas are prepared, and a stone rollino- pin, 

 cylindrical in shape with the ends sliohtl}^ tapering*. 



Maize is now the most important crop. On the higher land it is 

 planted at the bej^inning of the rainy season. In the lowland, as in 

 the valley of the Talofofo Kiver, it is planted at the ])eginnin|»" of the 

 dry season. As soon as it is harvested it is shelled and spread out on 

 mats in the streets to dry in the sun. Then it is stored in earthen jars 

 as a i)rotcction against dampness and against rats and weevils. In 

 places where the soil is deep enough the land is prepared for maize by 

 plowing. On the higher land the weeds and bushes are cleared, dried, 

 spread over the tield, and ])urned. This process serves to kill many 

 weeds and at the same time to fertilize the land. The only instrument 

 of cultivation used in such places is the fosino, or scuffle hoe, which 

 consists of a wide transverse blade, placed T-like on the end of a long 

 slender handle, the stem of the T being a hollow socket into which the 

 end of the handle fits tightly. This is thrust ahead of the laborer, and 

 serves to clear away bushes and to cut the weeds. After the corn is 

 once i)lanted, the surface is easil}' kept clear of weeds with the fosino, 

 the natives usuall}' covering at one thrust a space of 6 feet in length 

 and the width of the blade. The use of this implement is universal. 

 Even the women are adepts, and tiny fosinos are made for the little 

 children. 



Edible roots. — Among the edible roots of the island are taro 

 {Caladmiii colocasia) and yams {Dloscorea spp.), ))oth of which are 

 cultivated by the natives and are a resource for them during the 

 periods of famine, which usually follow hurricanes. Taro is cultivated 

 either in swamps (PI. XXIV) or in newly cleared ground. Certain 

 varieties, the best of which has purplish stems and is called Visa^'an 

 taro, " sunin visaya," are grown on hillsides and are of tine consistency 

 and flavor. The closely allied Alocasi.a Indlca and A. macrorrhiza are 

 not so commonly cultivated, but grow wild in many places. They are 

 very acrid and are only eaten in cases of necessit3^ 



The cultivated yams are probably varieties of Dloscorea alata, D. 

 sativa^ and D. aculeata. Closely allied to the last is the wild gado 

 or nika cimarron {Dioscorea spino.m)^ which forms thickets in miuiy 



«.See p. 24, 



