OVER TRAIL AND THROUGH JUNGLE IN ECUADOR 



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THE) MILK-DELIVERY SERVICE OE IvOJA 



That there may be no question as to the freshness of the milk, it is drawn to order. 

 The calf is taken along to act as a starter, but has its nose thrust aside when once the cow- 

 has been beguiled into letting down milk. 



ous and persevering, but still hold to 

 primitive methods that are wasteful in 

 the extreme. 



While the soil of Ecuador is very fer- 

 tile in many places and both plant and 

 animal life thrive, the topography is often 

 such as to make the securing of a liveli- 

 hood a constant struggle on the part of 

 the Quichua, and many cultivated fields 

 are seen on hillsides so steep that a man 

 must be an acrobat to work in them. 



Nowhere have the primitive methods 

 persisted more steadfastly than in agri- 

 culture. Much of the plowing is still done 

 today with wooden plows, which are 

 merely sticks lashed together, a long one 

 to serve as a pole and a short one fastened 

 at an angle to scratch up the ground. 

 Such shallow plowing fails to develop the 

 resources of the soil, and the yields are 

 low. Planting methods are equally labori- 

 ous and unsatisfactory. 



Because of the numbers of mules, 



horses, cattle, and goats that roam at will 

 near the settled areas, the farmer must 

 see to it that his fields are adequately 

 fenced. In some places substantial fences 

 are built of stones piled one upon another, 

 and when these are not at hand, a sub- 

 stitute may be found in blocks of adobe; 

 but the greater number of fences are 

 formed of rows of the century-plant, or 

 cabuya. The robust growth of the cen- 

 tury-plant, the vigorous green of the 

 leaves, and the striking appearance of 

 the tall flower stalk combine to make these 

 fences a pleasant feature in a landscape 

 which otherwise would often be dull and 



THE FARMER S WlEE AND CHILDREN 

 TRAM PEE OUT THE GRAIN 



When cereals are ripe, they are cut 

 by hand and brought in to the threshing- 

 floor, which is a level, carefully cleaned 

 spot. If it be wheat that is being har- 



