QUIROGA: a MEXICAN MUNICIPIO — BRAND 



149 



ECONOMIC TREES AND SHRUBS 



The principal tree and shrub crops in the Quiroga 

 area are derived from introduced Old World plants, 

 as is true for most of the New World. Evidently 

 the American Indian was able to fill most of his 

 needs by gathering from wild plants. In Michoa- 

 cdn only a few of such plants are definitely known 

 to have been cultivated preliistoricaUy, and most 

 of these were supplemented by collecting from 

 their wild relatives. The most important of the 

 native plants are as follows: 



Maguey or acamba (Agave spp.), which is cultivated in 

 several species, although wild agaves are utilized a little. 

 Formerly the raising of agaves was highly important for 

 the juice or aguaniiel (urani and ateri in Tarascan) 

 which was converted into a fermented drink or pulque 

 (this Mexicano word has replaced the Tarascan ateri), 

 and also for the roasted heart or cabbage and stalk, 

 as well as for fiber from the leaves. At present the 500 

 or more cultivated agaves function principally as fence 

 or boundar}' elements and as ornamentals; and only a 

 minor number are tapped for the aguamiel from De- 

 cember to May (chiefly February to April). A method 

 of tapping is used in Quiroga which we have not seen 

 elsewhere. Instead of cutting off the flower stalk 

 before it begins to flower and e.xcavating a cavity at 

 the base into which the aguamiel can flow, several of 

 the pulqueros in Quiroga cut out a few leaves or pencas 

 and excavate laterally at the base of the untouched 

 stalk. The pulque of Quiroga (made chiefly by in- 

 habitants of El Calvario) is of a very fine quality, 

 superior to anything produced in the main pulque area 

 near Mexico City, but there is not enough to meet the 

 local demand. In 1945 there were but five families 

 (four in El Calvario) which produced pulque. The 

 man of the house is the pulquero who cuts into the heart 

 or corazdn of the maguey with a capador, scoops out the 

 pulp and shapes the cavity with a spoonlike raspador, 

 and then collects the aguamiel three times a day (morn- 

 ing, noon, and late afternoon). One man looks after 

 from four to six magueyes during a season, which com- 

 monly lasts for only 3 months. Some of the agaves 

 are tapped in the sixth year, although many are not 

 ready until between the eighth and eleventh years of 

 growth. One maguey plant has a nominal value of S3. 

 A tapped maguey will yield from 2 to 6 liters of aguamiel 

 a day, averaging between 3 and 4 liters. The woman 

 of the house is the putqucra who elaborates and sells 

 the pulque. A large pot or olla is washed, dried in the 

 sun, then sterilized by bathing with alcohol which is 

 set on fire. Mother of pulque (pie de pulque) is placed 

 in the olla, aguamiel is poured in, and the pot is set out 

 in the sun to ferment. Occasionally strengthening or 

 flavoring is added in the form of alcohol, orange, banana, 

 or pineapple. The pulque is sold in different strengths 

 from fresh aguamiel or aguamiel which has just begun 

 to ferment [pulque dulce) to a potent pulque which has 

 fermented for a number of hours (pulque fuerte) . The 



aguamiel and the different pulques are sold for 20 to 25^ 

 a liter or 5^ a glass. During the season pulque can be 

 purchased in one grocery store, at the Sunday market, 

 and in the homes of the pulqueras. Probably the total 

 production ol aguamiel and pulque does not exceed 10,000 

 to 12,000 liters a year, which may be worth $3,000 

 retail. The pulqueros and pulqueras consider the mak- 

 ing of pulque a sideline, and they are primarily batea 

 workers. In the nineteenth century the municipality 

 of Quiroga produced the distilled vino de mescal, but 

 apparently almost the entire production came from 

 areas outside of the present municipal boundaries. 

 There is some roasting of cabbages and stalks, but this 

 is mainly from wild agaves in the Malpais de Icudcato; 

 and the chief source of mescal (the proper Mexican term 

 for the roasted product which is consumed as one 

 would eat a fibrous baked sweet potato) is the adjacent 

 communities. January to May is the chief roasting 

 season. Very little fiber (ixlle or nequin) is now made 

 locally. In summary, the agave in the Quiroga area 

 can be thought of as a remnant from the prehistoric 

 and colonial days when it was of major importance. 



Cacti are not important in Quiroga as fence elements, but 

 some 300 plants are cultivated for their fruits and stems. 

 The bulk of the cultivated cacti belong to the genus 

 Opjinha and are prized for their fruits: (a) Opuniiaficus- 

 indica (L.) Mill., tuna mansa, tuna blanca, nopal n\anso, 

 nopal de castilla, tenochtli, pari; (b) Opuntia robusta 

 Wendl., tuna camuesa; (c) Opuntia megacantha Salm- 

 Dyck, nopal de castilla; (d) Opuntia streptacanlha Lem., 

 tuna cardona, nopal carddn; (e) Opuntia hyptiacantha 

 Weber, tuna chaveha. The term tuna is used for sweet 

 cactus fruit (from cultivated plants), and joconoslle is 

 applied to the sour or acid fruit from wild cacti. Tunas 

 7nansas are gathered from June to September. The 

 tender flat stems sometimes are sliced and cooked as 

 pot vegetables. In the sixteenth centurj-, and possibly 

 later, cochineal or grana was produced in the Pdtzcuaro 

 Basin; but there is no present production of grana 

 although we noticed a few Nopalea cochinellifera (L.) 

 Salm-Dyck southeast of Quiroga town. Minor in num- 

 bers but the queen of all fruit-producing cacti is the 

 pitahayo or tuna tasajo which is Hylocereus undatus 

 (Haw.) Britt. and Rose. This red-fruited cactus is 

 frequently seen growing on rock and adobe walls and 

 in trees. The fruit is mo.st common from October to 

 December. 



Tejocote or kards (Crataegus mexicana Moc. and Sess4) 

 the Mexican hawthorn, is cultivated a little (perhaps 

 200 trees, chiefly in the highland ranches), but most of 

 the fruit and all of the wood is obtained from the wild 

 trees. The fruit, which is collected from September 

 to February, is eaten fresh and also is converted into 

 jam and jelly. There is some use of the tejocote as stock 

 upon which are grafted quince, pear, and apple. Also, 

 the young tejocotes constitute the favorite browse of 

 the goats in the highlands. 



Zapote bianco or uriata and uruala (Casimiroa edulis 

 Llave & Lex.), despite its name does not belong to the 

 Sapotaceae but belongs to the rue family. The term 

 zapote comes from zapotl which the Mexieanos used for 



