Photo by J. E. Kirkwood 



ONE END OF THE ROPE- WALK AT CEDROS ( SEE PAGE 584) 



In this first picture the boys are in position to manipulate the spinning apparatus. One 

 is winding a bobbin. In the picture on page 575 the spinners, the rope yarns, and the loom 

 are seen. 



threshed by the hoofs of cattle, and corn 

 is planted and shelled by hand. Rough 

 and heavy home-made carts or the backs 

 of men or burros are the most common 

 modes of conveyance. The people seem 

 to have no appreciation of improved 

 farming implements. Often when im- 

 proved implements are provided the la- 

 borers they discard them for more primi- 

 tive methods. 



The principal agricultural crop of the 

 region is corn, but small grains, beans, 

 squashes, and a few vegetables are also 

 raised. Corn is the staple cereal for the 

 poorer classes, furnishing material for 

 tortillas and tamales ; beans, chilis, and 

 onions are easily grown and form some 

 of the chief elements of the Mexican's 

 diet. 



MEXICAN CROPS 



All of these crops are matured in the 

 short season of the summer rains. July 



and August can usually be depended upon 

 for heavy showers at not distant inter- 

 vals, and the drainage of the uncultivated 

 ground is so managed that the run-off is 

 directed over the fields, which thus receive 

 not only the rain which falls upon them, 

 but also that which falls upon a consid- 

 erable area of the adjacent land. Plow- 

 ing and seeding are done mostly in July, 

 and October is the month of harvest. 



The fruits produced in this region 

 from the few trees growing in the better- 

 watered situations are the fig, pomegran- 

 ate, avocado, grape, quince, and some in- 

 ferior apples. One of the most common 

 of the fruits of the country is the tuna, 

 the fruits of the cactus of the prickly-pear 

 kind, which grows to immense size and is 

 a feature of almost every well-ordered 

 garden and door-yard. There are a num- 

 ber of varieties of this fruit, most of 

 them being larger than a hen's egg and 



574 



