﻿216 
  SOUTH 
  AMERICAN 
  INDIANS 
  [B. 
  A. 
  E. 
  Bull. 
  143 
  

  

  was 
  brought 
  in. 
  The 
  most 
  unusual 
  ears 
  of 
  maize 
  (called 
  sara-mama, 
  

   "maize 
  mother") 
  were 
  put 
  in 
  a 
  miniature 
  storage 
  bin 
  made 
  of 
  corn 
  

   stalks. 
  The 
  bin 
  was 
  watched 
  for 
  3 
  nights, 
  and 
  then 
  the 
  farmer 
  sacri- 
  

   ficed 
  to 
  it, 
  and 
  a 
  diviner 
  determined 
  whether 
  the 
  bin 
  had 
  "strength" 
  

   enough 
  to 
  last 
  another 
  year. 
  If 
  it 
  did 
  not, 
  it 
  was 
  ceremonially 
  

   burned 
  and 
  a 
  new 
  one 
  made. 
  Potatoes 
  were 
  harvested 
  in 
  June 
  

   (fig. 
  24, 
  d). 
  (Cobo, 
  1890-95, 
  bk. 
  14, 
  ch. 
  8; 
  Poma, 
  1936, 
  pp. 
  1131-1167; 
  

   Molina 
  of 
  Cuzco, 
  1913, 
  pp. 
  131-75; 
  Molina 
  of 
  Santiago, 
  1916, 
  pp. 
  

   160-62; 
  Garcilaso, 
  1723, 
  pt. 
  1, 
  bk. 
  5, 
  ch. 
  2; 
  Polo, 
  1916 
  a, 
  pp. 
  20-21.) 
  

  

  Little 
  is 
  said 
  by 
  the 
  chroniclers 
  about 
  crop 
  rotation. 
  Fertilizer 
  

   was 
  used 
  all 
  through 
  the 
  Andean 
  area, 
  although 
  the 
  source 
  varied. 
  

   In 
  the 
  high 
  country 
  where 
  llamas 
  were 
  bred, 
  llama 
  dung 
  was 
  the 
  

   favorite. 
  In 
  the 
  lower 
  mountain 
  valleys, 
  human 
  manure 
  was 
  about 
  

   the 
  only 
  fertilizer 
  obtainable. 
  The 
  Coastal 
  peoples 
  used 
  bird 
  guano 
  

   from 
  the 
  Guano 
  Islands 
  or 
  the 
  heads 
  of 
  small 
  fish 
  (Garcilaso, 
  1723, 
  

   pt. 
  1, 
  bk. 
  5, 
  ch. 
  3; 
  Molina 
  of 
  Santiago, 
  1916, 
  p. 
  127). 
  

  

  The 
  Indians 
  had 
  such 
  a 
  passion 
  for 
  agriculture 
  that 
  they 
  would 
  

   leave 
  more 
  profitable 
  activities 
  at 
  planting 
  and 
  harvest 
  time 
  to 
  go 
  off 
  

   and 
  tend 
  their 
  fields. 
  This 
  attitude 
  had 
  a 
  serious 
  effect 
  on 
  Inca 
  

   history, 
  notably 
  in 
  hastening 
  the 
  collapse 
  of 
  the 
  Siege 
  of 
  Cuzco 
  in 
  

   1537 
  (Cobo, 
  1890-95, 
  bk. 
  14, 
  ch. 
  8). 
  

  

  Gathering 
  wild 
  foods. 
  — 
  The 
  gathering 
  of 
  wild 
  plants, 
  minerals, 
  eggs, 
  

   and 
  insects 
  was 
  comparatively 
  unimportant 
  in 
  Inca 
  economy. 
  Foods 
  

   collected 
  included 
  fruits 
  of 
  two 
  kinds 
  of 
  tuna 
  cactus 
  and 
  of 
  a 
  bush 
  

   called 
  awaymanto, 
  which 
  were 
  considered 
  delicacies. 
  The 
  leaves 
  of 
  

   the 
  hat'aqo 
  and 
  pisqoq 
  cakin 
  ("bird's 
  foot") 
  were 
  eaten 
  raw 
  or 
  

   cooked, 
  and 
  the 
  leaves 
  of 
  another 
  plant 
  (oqa-oqa) 
  were 
  chewed 
  for 
  

   thirst. 
  All 
  wild 
  plants 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  leaves 
  were 
  boiled 
  and 
  eaten 
  

   were 
  called 
  generically 
  yoyo, 
  and 
  there 
  were 
  several 
  kinds 
  besides 
  

   those 
  mentioned 
  (RGI, 
  1881-97, 
  2: 
  208, 
  214). 
  Infusions 
  were 
  made 
  

   from 
  the 
  leaves 
  of 
  a 
  few 
  wild 
  plants, 
  mostly 
  for 
  medicine. 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  useful 
  nonfood 
  plant 
  was 
  the 
  Andean 
  bunch 
  grass 
  (ichu), 
  

   which 
  was 
  gathered 
  on 
  the 
  hillsides 
  for 
  thatch 
  roofs, 
  brooms, 
  and 
  

   braided 
  rope 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  for 
  certain 
  ceremonial 
  uses. 
  The 
  fibers 
  of 
  the 
  

   Andean 
  century 
  plant 
  (acopa) 
  were 
  used 
  for 
  cordage. 
  Many 
  wild 
  

   plants 
  were 
  collected 
  for 
  dyes, 
  medicines, 
  poisons, 
  or 
  charms. 
  

  

  Fuel 
  was 
  a 
  serious 
  problem 
  in 
  most 
  valleys 
  because 
  of 
  the 
  scarcity 
  

   of 
  trees. 
  Bushes 
  and 
  scrub 
  from 
  the 
  hillsides 
  were 
  burned, 
  and 
  dried 
  

   llama 
  dung 
  was 
  a 
  supplementary 
  fuel. 
  Dried 
  llama 
  dung 
  burns 
  

   like 
  coal 
  with 
  little 
  smoke 
  or 
  odor. 
  Under 
  the 
  Inca, 
  wood-cutting 
  

   areas 
  were 
  strictly 
  controlled 
  to 
  prevent 
  stripping. 
  Wood 
  for 
  roof 
  

   timbers 
  was 
  imported 
  from 
  the 
  tropical 
  valleys 
  when 
  possible, 
  or 
  

   improvised 
  from 
  the 
  twisted 
  branches 
  of 
  the 
  qiswar 
  tree 
  (RGI, 
  

   1881-97, 
  2: 
  213, 
  etc.). 
  Short 
  sections 
  of 
  various 
  other 
  mountain 
  

   trees 
  could 
  be 
  utilized 
  for 
  tools, 
  carved 
  objects, 
  and 
  construction. 
  

  

  