CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY OF SOUTHWEST GUATEMALA—McBRYDE 21 
The harvest.—Various preharvest practices such 
as the doblando, bending over the top of the maize 
stalks, leaving the ears pointing downward, or cutting 
off the top of the plant a month or two before the 
maize is gathered, are commonly though not univer- 
sally employed to facilitate ripening. The harvest is 
often protracted, with net loads of maize ears being 
brought in as needed, and stored; when storage 
facilities are inadequate, the maize must be left in 
the field and gathered a few loads at atime. Various 
animal pests, however, discourage this practice. At 
Santiago Atitlan the maize is harvested as soon as 
possible, and is kept in the owner’s yard. Women 
do a large share of the work of harvesting in many 
parts of the region, sometimes even carrying home 
heavy loads of maize, in addition to gathering it in 
the field.1® Maize is ordinarily shelled with the hand, 
as needed, being stored on the ear, sometimes in part 
of the house and sometimes in outside cribs (trojes). 
Maize colors.—It is almost universal practice to 
plant maize according to color, keeping each separate 
insofar as is possible. The common colors in 
descending order of importance and abundance are 
yellow, white, black (actually, dark purple and, to a 
lesser extent, blue), red, “calico,” and mottled (pl. 
30, d). The first is most common throughout the 
entire region. Observations and informants’ state- 
ments at 15 widely distributed centers from Low- 
lands to Continental Divide showed that yellow was 
first in quantity and was preferred for eating in all 
but one locality, where white seemed to have equal 
rank; white is a close second throughout the area, 
with black (purples and blues) and reds far less 
abundant. At San Andrés Semetebaj a good in- 
formant stated that the dark-colored maize thrives 
on poor soil, where the others do not grow well. All 
different colors are eaten immature (elote), roasted, 
but much less than ripe, as tortillas and tamales. Red 
and especially black are preferred, as in Peru, for 
making chicha, a fermented drink. 
Along the north shore of the Lake at both Pana- 
jachel and Santa Catarina Palops, it was said that 
yellow maize was planted exclusively near the shore, 
mainly on alluvial land, whereas white (and a little 
black) was grown up on the steep slopes.17 One ex- 
planation for this was as follows: Yellow maize rip- 
ened earlier and if anyone put in a patch of yellow 
among the white, up where it could not be watched, it 
is For 16th-century notes regarding harvest methods in Vera Paz, see 
p. 24. 
17 None of these reports could be personally verified, but they checked 
in different localities. They are recorded with reservations. 
would become a special prey to pests, particularly the 
tepeizcuinte (probably Cuniculus paca). There was 
no explanation as to why the slopes were not sown 
entirely to yellow, which should also nearly all ripen 
at once. Perhaps the yellow is more exacting as to 
soil, and, being preferred, it is planted on the best 
alluvial land. 
Cuarenteno (“40-day” maize) is generally limited 
to elevations below 1,500 m. (4,921 ft.) and occurs 
in the three common colors, yellow, white, and black. 
It has a growing season of about 2 months. 
Yield.—Average Highland yields, based upon a 
number of estimates made in various parts of the 
region, range from about 1 quintal (about 101% 
Ib.) to 2 quintals per cuerdat® (32 varas of 33 in., 
squared, or somewhat less than one-fifth acre). This 
is roughly from 550 to 1,100 pounds (or about 10 to 
20 bu.) to the acre.® Tax (1937) and Stadelman 
(1940) have recorded average yields near the higher 
figure. Kempton and Popenoe (1937) give 10 
bushels as the usual maximum yield for high corn- 
fields, with 20 bushels the probable top yield lower 
down. Médel gave 16th-century yields as averaging 
60— to 80-fold (ratio between amount of grain har- 
vested and amount planted) in Guatemala and Tlax- 
cala on good maize lands; 200-fold, exceptional; yet 
for Nuevo Reino 25- to 30-fold was good (Médel, 
Ms., p. 140, f. 190). The probable average yield in 
highland Guatemala today is about 100 to 1, as in the 
fertile valleys of coastal Peru. In the United States 
Corn Belt the yield is commonly 200 to 1. 
Secondary milpa crops.—The principal crops 
other than maize that go into the milpa are usually 
beans and squashes of various sorts. These depend 
upon the individual locality, where taste and often 
climatic conditions are the determining factors. 
They can best be illustrated by citing several ex- 
amples of actual practice in different sections. 
A large percentage, perhaps half, of the Atitecos 
(Santiago, 1,600 m. or 5,249 ft.) plant beans, along 
with maize, four to each hill at the same time as the 
maize. Near the Lake shore, back to about 100 m. 
(328 ft.), almost all milpa is interplanted with 
squash (some report gilicoy, a form of Cucurbita 
pepo, higher up), manioc, and sweetpotatoes, all be- 
ing about 7 or 8 varas (of 33 in.) apart except the 
manioc, which is planted by each maize hill. Chila- 
7a8'One quiitall per cuerda is the estimate determined by Termer for 
the Cuchumatanes region, and quoted by La Farge and Byers (1931, 
p. 71), who reported similar yields. 
1 By miscalculating the size of a cuerda, I gave the correct cuerda 
yield at Solola in 1932, but estimated it as 2 tons per acre (McBryde, 
1933, p. 107). It should be about 10 bushels (550 Ib.) per acre. 
