﻿Vol.2] 
  CONTEMPORARY 
  QUECHUA 
  — 
  MISHKIN 
  419 
  

  

  patterns. 
  The 
  crisscrosses 
  of 
  plow 
  lines 
  are 
  especially 
  noticeable 
  in 
  

   the 
  hill 
  slopes 
  where 
  they 
  serve 
  the 
  very 
  important 
  function 
  of 
  holding 
  

   the 
  rain 
  water 
  that 
  flows 
  down 
  the 
  slopes. 
  Orccos, 
  cuncos, 
  and 
  

   huachos 
  constitute 
  a 
  simple 
  engineering 
  device 
  as 
  a 
  substitute 
  for 
  

   irrigation. 
  

  

  Sowing, 
  like 
  the 
  plowing 
  operation, 
  is 
  a 
  group 
  affair 
  performed 
  

   typically 
  by 
  groups 
  of 
  three 
  — 
  one 
  handling 
  the 
  seed, 
  the 
  second 
  intro- 
  

   ducing 
  the 
  pulverized 
  sheep, 
  llama, 
  and 
  cattle 
  manure, 
  which 
  is 
  the 
  

   only 
  fertilizer 
  used 
  by 
  the 
  Quechua, 
  and 
  the 
  third 
  using 
  the 
  chaquitaclla. 
  

   Weeding 
  and 
  banking, 
  done 
  several 
  times 
  during 
  the 
  year, 
  are 
  per- 
  

   formed 
  by 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  persons 
  in 
  each 
  plot. 
  Harvests, 
  again, 
  consti- 
  

   tute 
  a 
  more 
  complex 
  affair 
  as 
  regards 
  division 
  of 
  labor, 
  but 
  in 
  many 
  

   cases 
  must 
  be 
  carried 
  on 
  by 
  individual 
  families 
  all 
  working 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  

   time. 
  Unwillingness 
  to 
  lend 
  one 
  another 
  labor 
  at 
  harvest 
  time 
  stems 
  

   from 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  agricultural 
  season 
  is 
  closing 
  and 
  every 
  member 
  

   of 
  the 
  community 
  is 
  anxious 
  to 
  get 
  his 
  crop 
  in 
  as 
  quickly 
  as 
  possible. 
  

  

  The 
  lending 
  of 
  labor 
  in 
  group 
  work 
  to 
  form 
  masas 
  is 
  called 
  working 
  

   in 
  aine. 
  It 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  significant 
  factor 
  in 
  the 
  division 
  of 
  labor, 
  run- 
  

   ning 
  through 
  all 
  currents 
  of 
  Andean 
  economic 
  life. 
  The 
  mechanism 
  

   of 
  working 
  in 
  aine 
  affects 
  every 
  member 
  of 
  the 
  community 
  since 
  every- 
  

   one 
  must 
  belong 
  to 
  a 
  voluntary 
  work 
  party. 
  Each 
  member 
  of 
  a 
  

   party, 
  just 
  as 
  he 
  can 
  summon 
  the 
  others 
  to 
  work 
  in 
  his 
  plot, 
  must 
  be 
  

   ready 
  to 
  lend 
  his 
  labor 
  when 
  it 
  is 
  needed. 
  Working 
  in 
  aine 
  is 
  not 
  

   restricted 
  to 
  agricultural 
  labor. 
  Women 
  will 
  assist 
  one 
  another 
  in 
  

   domestic 
  activities 
  on 
  an 
  aine 
  basis. 
  Children 
  who 
  have 
  been 
  given 
  

   the 
  task 
  of 
  herding 
  sheep 
  in 
  the 
  punas 
  might 
  be 
  relieved 
  by 
  other 
  

   children 
  who 
  will 
  work 
  in 
  aine. 
  They 
  then 
  may 
  go 
  off 
  to 
  play 
  for 
  the 
  

   day, 
  offering 
  the 
  same 
  opportunity 
  to 
  their 
  companions 
  at 
  some 
  future 
  

   time. 
  

  

  Reduced 
  to 
  simplest 
  terms, 
  aine 
  means 
  mutual 
  assistance. 
  It 
  pro- 
  

   vides 
  for 
  an 
  exchange 
  of 
  labor, 
  man 
  for 
  man 
  and 
  day 
  for 
  day. 
  How- 
  

   ever, 
  the 
  formalization 
  this 
  system 
  has 
  developed 
  among 
  the 
  Quechua 
  

   calls 
  for 
  close 
  analysis 
  of 
  the 
  manner 
  in 
  which 
  it 
  functions. 
  In 
  an 
  

   average 
  family 
  plot, 
  which 
  is 
  worked 
  by 
  two 
  masas, 
  or 
  six 
  workers, 
  at 
  

   least 
  three 
  would 
  normally 
  be 
  working 
  in 
  aine. 
  The 
  household 
  of 
  the 
  

   ordinary 
  family 
  can 
  supply 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  workers 
  since 
  the 
  wife 
  and 
  

   boys 
  of 
  9 
  or 
  10 
  can 
  contribute 
  their 
  labor. 
  Having 
  completed 
  the 
  

   work 
  of 
  the 
  day, 
  the 
  owner 
  of 
  the 
  plot 
  then 
  owes 
  1 
  day 
  of 
  work 
  to 
  the 
  

   three 
  who 
  have 
  worked 
  in 
  aine. 
  If 
  the 
  four 
  workers 
  in 
  question 
  are 
  

   able 
  to 
  carry 
  on 
  all 
  their 
  agricultural 
  labors 
  by 
  lending 
  one 
  another 
  

   their 
  services, 
  then 
  the 
  round 
  of 
  aine 
  is 
  complete. 
  Each 
  party 
  has 
  

   canceled 
  the 
  labor 
  of 
  the 
  other 
  by 
  his 
  own 
  labor. 
  But 
  in 
  order 
  that 
  

   the 
  system 
  operate 
  with 
  perfection, 
  as 
  noted 
  in 
  the 
  hypothetical 
  

   instance 
  just 
  given, 
  it 
  is 
  necessary 
  that 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  plots 
  of 
  all 
  four 
  

   workers 
  be 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  equal. 
  

  

  