Native Papuans harvesting taro crops

Abstract

In their primitive state, the native people devote a great deal of effort to subsistence gardening. Cash crops of copra, cocoa beans, and coffee now attract much of their attention, but plots of taro, like this or crops such as yams, sweet potatoes, and breadfruit, according to environment and altitude, provide their staple food and bind many of them to the soil. Both men and women work in the garage, the men clearing the sites and doing the heaviest work, with both sexes co-operating in planting, maintenance, and harvesting. In some swamp areas sago is gathered. Food obtained from gardens is supplemented by hunting and fishing. Pigs are kept but, since they are a mark of wealth and prestige, much of their importance is ceremonial. Investigations are in progress into ways and means by which pig raising can be directed towards improvement in the natural diet.