ranges, lemons, and granadillas flourish at the
height of 10,000 feet above sea level. The fruits which have been
transplanted from Europe are for the most part indifferent, as not the
least care is bestowed on their cultivation. The effect of this neglect
is particularly obvious in apples, pears, and damson-plums. Cherries and
chestnuts are unknown in these parts; but on the other hand, peaches and
apricots (_duraznos_) grow in amazing abundance, and many very fine
species are found, especially in the southern provinces. Excursions to
the _duraznales_ (apricot gardens), in the months of April and May, to
eat the ripe fruit fresh plucked from the trees, are among the most
favorite recreations of the Serranos. Some of the Sierra districts are
celebrated throughout Peru for their abundance of fruit. This luxuriance
is particularly remarkable in several of the deep valleys, for instance,
in Huanta; but, strictly speaking, these deep valleys partake less of
the character of the Sierra than of the higher forest regions.

The periods of sowing and reaping are celebrated by the Indians with
merry-making, a custom which has descended from the time of the Incas,
when those periods corresponded with the two great divisions of the
year. Even a scanty harvest, an event of frequent occurrence, occasions
no interruption to these rustic festivals. Bands of music, consisting of
trumpets, fiddles, and flutes, play whilst the corn is cut down, and
during their work, the laborers freely regale themselves with chicha,
huge barrels of which are placed for their unrestrained use. The
consequence is, that they are almost continually intoxicated; and yet
whilst in this state it is no unusual thing to see them dancing with
heavy loads of sheaves on their heads. Their dinner is cooked in the
fields, in large pots and kettles, and to partake of it they all sit
down on the ground in rows, one behind another. The wheat and barley
when cut are spread out in little heaps on the ground, and, instead of
thrashing, the grain is pressed out of the ears by the tramping of
horses, the animals being driven round and round in a circle. As soon as
this process is ended, the agents of the Government and the priests make
their appearance to claim the tithes.

In the larger villages and towns of the Sierra, the Indians frequently
employ themselves in handicrafts, in some of which they attain a high
degree of perfection, for they are not wanting either in talent