46 INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY—PUBLICATION NO. 7 
Castilla), and the granada de China, and a great 
variety of native subtropical fruits such as the 
aguacate, chirimoya, guayaba, and zapote blanco. 
In the warmer sections of the tierra templada are 
found tropical fruits, the native mamey and 
zapote prieto, the Asiatic mango, Old World 
varieties of the banana, and the possibly native 
plantain. 
The European fruits were brought into the 
Tarascan area early in the 16th century mainly by 
missionaries. Every mission, church, or convent 
had its small garden where the priest and Indian 
neophytes cared for fruit trees and vegetables. 
Consequently the new fruits spread rapidly among 
the Tarascan villages, and were soon fully accepted 
into the native economy. Both the Relaciones 
geograficas (Mus. Nac., leg. 102) and the Ponce 
Relacién indicate the widespread cultivation of 
European fruits in the Tarascan area during the 
latter part of the 16th century. With fruit 
cultivation the missionaries probably introduced 
the technique of grafting, e. g., the insertion of 
apple and pear cuttings into native tejocote to 
insure a hardy root system adapted to local soils 
and climate. Grafting is still practiced in most 
Tarascan villages. 
Arboriculture among modern Tarascans con- 
sists of little more than a few fruit trees planted in 
the ekudau or along hedgerows. Most trees are 
only semicultivated. Except for initial grafting 
of apples and pears and the planting of shoots of 
other fruits, little care is taken of trees. System- 
atic pruning is not practiced, nor is any attempt 
made to control disease or insect pests. 
Although in most pueblos fruit is grown chiefly 
for local consumption, the people of some towns 
specialize in raising certain fruits for export. 
The Sierra communities of Cumachuén and Piché- 
taro are the apple producers; ** Cherdn, Paran- 
garicutiro (prior to the volcano), Tancitaro, and 
the rancho of Tenguecho specialize in pears.” In 
these towns the entire ekudiu of some households 
may be devoted to fruit trees, forming a small 
%° Many varieties of apples are marketed in these towns. The most popu- 
lar is termed camuesa, a reddish fruit picked in August and September. 
Others, chata, mezicana, chata de Serina (a small crab apple), are harvested 
in October. In addition, the small red moreliana is grown in Pichétaro. 
Apples from Cumachuén and Pich&taro are carried by arrieros into the tierra 
caliente as far as PetatlAn on the Pacifie coast of Guerrero. They are also 
taken to the large markets of the plateau: Zamora, PAétzcuaro, Zacapu. 
87 In 1789 pears formed one of the main industries of Capacuaro, but are 
now relatively unimportant (AGN Historia, vol. 73, f. 328). See Beals, 
1946, pp. 27-28, for description of pear picking. 
orchard. In such cases trees are closely spaced 
and present an unkept appearance. 
Many Tarascan pueblos in the lower and warmer 
areas bordering the Sierra specialize in subtropical 
fruits, and possibly served prehistorically as fruit 
supply centers for the Sierra towns. Since the 
development of modern transportation their prod- 
uce is taken to many parts of Mexico. San 
Angel Zurumucapio is the avocado center of the 
Tarascan tierra templada,® Tingambato the chiri- 
moya town, and the former Tarascan pueblos, 
Ziricuritiro and Acahuato, produce bananas, man- 
goes, mamey, citrus, etc. Tarascan Atapan and 
mestizo Tingiindin supply the western part of 
the Sierra with citrus, guayaba, and mangoes. 
As early as 1581 Atapan had become a citrus- 
growing center, and probably before the Conquest 
had produced avocados and chirimoyas for Sierra 
trade. The La Cafiada towns have ever been 
the northern Tarascan fruit center. Today 
avocados form the main fruit speciality of Aca- 
chuén, Ichfin-Tacuro, and Carapan; oranges are 
the chief export of Tanaquillo. With the pos- 
sible exception of Ihuatzio, which produces large 
quantities of avocado, there is no specialized 
fruit town in the Lake area, although the aggregate 
subtropical fruit production there is of importance 
in Sierra trade. 
Fruits from the tierra caliente have long had a 
special significance among the Sierra Tarascans. 
Today at least two tropical fruits are eaten es- 
pecially at religious fiestas, and special effort is 
made to obtain them for such occasions. Coco- 
nuts (k6ko) in some Sierra pueblos are rarely eaten 
except during the Ramos and Easter holidays. 
Formerly in Charapan 2 weeks before Easter a 
group composed of 15 men and boys from each 
barrio traveled down to the Tepalecatepec Basin 
to fetch coconuts for eating and coconut blossoms 
for church decorations. The band was ceremo- 
niously seen off with the firmg of rockets.’ Like- 
wise, the large plantain (pldtano macho) is eaten 
%8 The large avocado trees in the house lots of Zurumucapio completely 
hide the town. Two types of the fruit are grown, the black and white-skin 
varieties. Both are irrigated, and the fruit is harvested in April and May. 
Frequently coffee plants are grown under the shade of the avocado. 
% Other fruits produced in La Canada: Limes, guayaba, chirimoyas, figs, 
apricots, juaquiniquiles (Surén), plums, mangoes, pomegranates, peaches, 
apples, zapote blanco, capulin, a few bananas. 
100 This custom has practically disappeared in the Sierra. Most coconuts 
and other tropical fruit are now obtained at the Ramos (Palm Sunday) 
fairs at Periban, Zamora, Uruapan, and Pftzcuaro. In the Lake area during 
Laster festivities churches are often decorated with melons (sandias) from 
the Balsas. 
