The Bingham County news. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1918-1930, 1921-07-29
USE FOOT PLoW
Primitive implement Is Still En-.
ployed in Peru.
Ancient System Of Cultivation Found
Sufficient to Produce All Crops
the Country Needs.

In the intermediate or temperate
valleys OF the eastern Andes. at IL IL
tudes between 5000 and 1900 feet.
agriculture was of the terrace system,
which the ancient Peruvians carried
to a higher developments than any
other people. says report of the
Smithsonian institution Hundreds
Of square miles of land were re-
claimed by Strengthening rivers, wall
ing, filling leveling and covering with
deep layer Of fine SOIL All of these
artificial lands had also to be irrigated,
often by carrying the water channels
for many miles through craggy noun
tains or along precipi Gus slopes. After
being cropped with maize continu-
Ously for centuries the terrace farms
are still fertile and have enabled
millions of people to live in region
that In Its natural condition could
have been Of no use for agricultural
purposes.
In still higher valleys, at attitudes
Of from 1000 to $4,000 feet, the eli
mate is colder, moisture is more abun-
dant and the slopes are more gentle.
There is less need of terracing or ir-
rigatiOn, but the alpine grasses and
other small plants form dense, fbrous
turf, condition like that of northern
countries where the pillow is the basic
implement Of agriculture. The farm
Ing Of the mountain grass lands was
done by human labor, facilitated by
peculiar implement for breaking the
sod.
The Peruvian foot pillow consists of
a rather stout wooden handle between
five and six feet long, shod, as in mod
ern times, by an iron point about three
inches wide and two or three times as
long. On the left side, just above the
iron point Is a footrest bound to the
handle by. leathern thongs. A few
inches farther up is another rest, at
tached in the same way, projecting
forward. This Is for the left hand.
which thus assists the foot in applying
the weight Of the body to pushing the
implement into the soil. -
Two "plowmen" work together. so
that their -plows enter the soil only
few inches apart under the same piece
of sod. which is then pried up. A boy
or woman kneelS in front of each
"team" to turn the sods as fast as they
are lOosened. In the raretied atmos-
| phere Of the high mountains blowing
is very strenuous exercise and the
work has to be done In short shifts
| The tough sod disintegrates during the
long growing season into a loose
! black soil. The cultivation of potatoes
by this method i carried on to an alti-
tude of more than 1900 feet on the
southern slopes.
| The hardest vartics of 20 atoes are
too bitter to be eaten in the fresh
; state, but are dried as a reserve stock
! of food after freezing. thaWing and
/ threading out he juice. The natives
! are familiar with the names, habits
and distinctive qualities of many varie-
ties Of potatoes. including several types
that are very different from any known
In the United S ates. The tlavors,
colors ami textures of the different
kinds Of potatoes are as keenly ap-
/ preciated among the high altitude peo-
( pie as the varieties of apples or peaches
/ are with u.s. The firm textures and
1 distinct flavors Of the Peruvian varie-
ties may be due in part to their being
! less affected by cooking since water
boils at lower temperatures in the high
! attitudes. Pota oes are not baked or
roasted, fuel being too scarce