﻿Vol.2] 
  TRIBES 
  OF 
  SIERRA 
  NEVADA 
  — 
  PARK 
  873 
  

  

  ture 
  of 
  this 
  region 
  has 
  in 
  the 
  main 
  been 
  modified 
  only 
  by 
  the 
  intro- 
  

   duction 
  of 
  alien 
  plants, 
  such 
  as 
  sugarcane, 
  plantains 
  (Musa 
  paradis- 
  

   iaca), 
  and 
  bananas 
  (Musa 
  p. 
  sapientum). 
  Aboriginal 
  tools 
  of 
  culti- 
  

   vation 
  have 
  been 
  replaced 
  by 
  the 
  machete 
  and 
  a 
  small 
  iron 
  spade. 
  

  

  The 
  principal 
  subsistence 
  crops 
  are 
  yuca 
  (sweet 
  manioc), 
  maize, 
  

   potatoes, 
  arracacha, 
  plantains, 
  sugarcane, 
  and 
  malanga. 
  These 
  are 
  

   supplemented 
  with 
  onions, 
  beans, 
  sweet 
  potatoes 
  (Ipomoea 
  batatas) 
  , 
  

   avocados, 
  pineapples, 
  and 
  oranges. 
  There 
  are 
  local 
  differences 
  in 
  

   emphasis 
  on 
  the 
  particular 
  type 
  of 
  crop 
  because 
  of 
  elevation, 
  soil 
  

   conditions, 
  and 
  similar 
  factors. 
  The 
  Cdgaba, 
  for 
  example, 
  grow 
  

   substantial 
  quantities 
  of 
  sugarcane, 
  whereas 
  the 
  lea 
  devote 
  little 
  time 
  

   and 
  land 
  to 
  its 
  cultivation. 
  

  

  Cdgaba 
  farming 
  in 
  recent 
  years 
  is 
  largely 
  devoted 
  to 
  the 
  production 
  

   of 
  sugarcane 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  supply 
  the 
  demand 
  for 
  panela 
  (a 
  crude 
  brown 
  

   sugar) 
  in 
  Pueblo 
  Viejo 
  and 
  Dibulla 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  to 
  satisfy 
  the 
  local 
  

   thirst 
  for 
  fermented 
  cane 
  juice. 
  The 
  lea, 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  do 
  not 
  

   grow 
  sufficient 
  cane 
  for 
  their 
  own 
  use 
  but 
  must 
  buy 
  panela. 
  

  

  Agricultural 
  techniques 
  are 
  crude, 
  with 
  a 
  correspondingly 
  small 
  

   yield. 
  Crop 
  rotation 
  and 
  fertilizer 
  are 
  unknown. 
  The 
  grass 
  is 
  burnt 
  

   off 
  during 
  the 
  dry 
  season, 
  and, 
  with 
  exhaustion 
  of 
  the 
  soil, 
  a 
  new 
  plot 
  

   is 
  cleared. 
  Irrigation 
  among 
  the 
  Cdgaba 
  is 
  usually 
  confined 
  to 
  the 
  

   small 
  plots 
  of 
  coca 
  bushes, 
  but 
  the 
  lea 
  sometimes 
  flood 
  dry 
  places 
  by 
  

   diverting 
  nearby 
  streams 
  (Bolinder, 
  1925, 
  p. 
  48 
  ff.). 
  

  

  Individual 
  plots 
  of 
  cultivated 
  land 
  are 
  usually 
  small, 
  embracing, 
  

   as 
  a 
  rule, 
  an 
  irregular 
  area 
  of 
  not 
  more 
  than 
  one-quarter 
  of 
  an 
  acre. 
  

   Customarily, 
  each 
  family 
  will 
  have 
  at 
  least 
  two 
  plots, 
  often 
  four 
  or 
  

   five, 
  each 
  located 
  at 
  different 
  altitudes. 
  

  

  Men, 
  women, 
  and 
  children 
  work 
  together 
  in 
  cultivating 
  the 
  garden 
  

   plots, 
  the 
  family 
  working 
  as 
  a 
  unit 
  on 
  its 
  individually 
  owned 
  tracts 
  

   of 
  land. 
  Men 
  are 
  responsible 
  for 
  clearing 
  the 
  land, 
  which 
  is 
  done 
  

   by 
  burning. 
  All 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  family 
  join 
  in 
  planting 
  and 
  weeding. 
  

   Women 
  and 
  children 
  harvest 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  crops. 
  Men 
  and 
  boys, 
  

   however, 
  cut 
  the 
  sugarcane 
  and 
  grind 
  it 
  with 
  the 
  trapiche, 
  or 
  cane 
  mill 
  

   (pi. 
  180, 
  bottom). 
  

  

  The 
  Cdgaba 
  gather 
  few 
  wild 
  plants 
  for 
  food, 
  and 
  this 
  is 
  also 
  reported 
  

   to 
  be 
  the 
  case 
  with 
  the 
  lea 
  (Bolinder, 
  1925, 
  p. 
  55). 
  Avocado 
  and 
  

   orange 
  trees 
  grow 
  wild, 
  but 
  their 
  yield 
  does 
  not 
  form 
  a 
  significant 
  part 
  

   of 
  the 
  diet. 
  Avocados 
  are 
  more 
  frequently 
  fed 
  to 
  the 
  pigs 
  than 
  

   eaten 
  by 
  human 
  beings. 
  

  

  Other 
  cultivated 
  plants 
  include 
  cotton, 
  agave, 
  coca, 
  and 
  tobacco. 
  

   Coffee 
  bushes 
  grow 
  in 
  a 
  semiwild 
  state, 
  and 
  the 
  beans 
  are 
  picked 
  only 
  

   to 
  be 
  sold 
  to 
  the 
  traders. 
  Substantial 
  quantities 
  of 
  cotton 
  are 
  grown 
  

   in 
  the 
  region 
  of 
  Palomino, 
  some 
  being 
  sold 
  to 
  other 
  Cdgaba 
  villages. 
  

   Coca 
  is 
  carefully 
  cultivated, 
  often 
  on 
  terraced 
  plots, 
  in 
  the 
  villages 
  

   and 
  near 
  the 
  houses 
  on 
  the 
  cultivations. 
  The 
  coca 
  vines 
  are 
  well 
  

  

  