of a delicacy. It were to be wished that the
general cultivation of the quinua could be introduced throughout Europe;
for during the prevalence of the potatoe disease this plant would be
found of the greatest utility. It is a well-known fact that potatoes and
tea, two articles now in such universal use, were not liked on their
first introduction into Europe. The quinua plant, which yields a
wholesome article of food, would thrive perfectly in our hemisphere,
and, though in its hitherto limited trial it has not found favor, there
is no reason to conclude that it may not at a future time become an
object of general consumption.

Four kinds of tuberous plants are successfully cultivated in the Sierra;
viz., the potatoe, the ulluco, the oca, and the mashua. Of potatoes
there are several varieties, and all grow in perfection. The ulluco
(_Tropaeolum tuberosum_) is smaller than the potatoe, and is very various
in its form, being either round, oblong, straight, or curved. The skin
is thin, and of a reddish-yellow color, and the inside is green. When
simply boiled in water it is insipid, but is very savory when cooked as
a _picante_. The oca (_Oxalis tuberosa_) is an oval-shaped root; the
skin pale red, and the inside white. It is watery, and has a sweetish
taste; for which reason it is much liked by the Peruvians. The mashua is
the root of a plant as yet unknown to botanists. It is cultivated and
cooked in the same manner as those already described. In form, however,
it differs from them all. It is of a flat pyramidal shape, and the lower
end terminates in a fibrous point. It is watery, and insipid to the
taste; but is nevertheless much eaten by the Serranos. As the mashua
roots will not keep, they are not transported from the places in which
they are grown, and, therefore, are not known in Lima. The Indians use
the mashua as a medicine: they consider it an efficacious remedy in
cases of dropsy, indigestion, and dysentery.

The vegetables and fruits of Europe thrive luxuriantly in the warm
Sierra valleys; yet but few of them have been transplanted thither, and
those few are but little esteemed. Some of the cabbage and salad
species, together with onions, garlic, and several kinds of pulse, are
all that are cultivated. It is remarkable that in these regions no
indigenous fruit-trees are to be seen. The only fruit really belonging
to the Sierra is the Tuna. In some of the sheltered ravines, or, as they
are called, Quebradas, o