Photograph by O. E. Cook 



A TERRACED VALEEY ABOVE OELANTAYTAMBO 



The terracing of this narrow valley is amazing. Parts of it are shown in several photo- 

 graphs that follow (pages 506 to 518). The high slopes at the left were also cultivated in 

 former times. At the base oPthe steep mountain on the right is a large slide of loose stones, 

 several hundred feet high. All this flat valley is artificial — that is, it was a gully — and would 

 so have remained if the Peruvians had not broadened it and leveled it out (see text, page 496). 



range of conditions, not by going to dif- 

 ferent parts of the country, but in differ- 

 ent parts of the same valley, in places 

 within plain sight of each other. Thus 

 from among the plantations of sugar, 

 coca, or cacao, at Santa Ana one can see 

 at the other end of the valley some of the 

 peaks of the Cordillera, covered with 

 glaciers and perpetual snow. It is like 

 looking from Jamaica to Alaska. Even 

 on foot or on mule-back only a few hours 

 are required to climb up or to descend 

 through the full range of agricultural 

 possibilities. 



No very definite division into agricul- 

 tural belts is possible. Some crops are 

 confined to the high altitudes and others 

 to the low, but there is endless overlap- 

 ping with the intermediate crops. Three 

 agricultural belts can be distinguished on 

 the basis of the principal food plants. 

 The cultivation of cassava, called yuca in 

 Spanish and mmu in Quichua, may be 

 allowed to characterize the lowest or 

 tropical belt, which extends in the Uru- 

 bamba Valley to an altitude of about 

 6,000 feet. From this altitude to about 

 11,000 feet is the intermediate belt, with 



maize as the principal native crop, while 

 in the Andine belt, above 11.000 feet, the 

 potato is the most important food plant. 



In some districts wheat is grown rather 

 extensively and is often the chief crop at 

 altitudes between 10,000 and 12,000 feet. 

 Barley and broad beans. (habas) are two 

 other European crops that are planted on 

 a relatively large scale at high elevations. 

 Above 12,000 feet the people are engaged 

 chiefly with the grazing of herds of 

 llamas, alpacas, cattle, and sheep; but po- 

 tatoes and other Andine crops are planted 

 on a small scale for the support of the 

 pastoral population. In most places agri- 

 culture does not go much above 13,000 

 feet, but on some of the slopes above the 

 Pass of La Raya potatoes are planted at 

 altitudes above 14,000 feet. The vines 

 make normal development and produce 

 abundantly when planted in good soil. 



Even among people of intelligence and 

 interest in agricultural problems the 

 superficial fact that Peru lies within the 

 tropical zone is commonly allowed to ob- 

 scure the relation of its agriculture to 

 that of temperate regions. The fact is, 

 of course, that in spite of the proximity 



505 



