THE BUSINESS OF AGRICULTURE 



115 



The average obtained by Panajachel Indians was 

 probably about $4.50. Even at the lowest figure, 



T.^BLE 34. — Cost of growing pepinos 



' Rarely the farmer buys (instead of using his own) branches of pepino 

 bushes to plant. The additional cost (at 10 cents per cuerda) would be 56 

 cents for the acre. 



Table 35. — Cost of an acre of coffee 



' Except for the last item, this labor is not included in the report to the 

 President (Appendix 1). The information was supplemented by a reliable 

 informant in 1941. 



' Information chiefly from Appendix 1, which is inaccurate in saying that 

 shade trees require the same labor as the coffee, for only a fourthas many 

 shade as coffee trees are planted. 



3 This figure was given by Ladinos, and it checks fairly well with the little 

 reliable case material available. Most Indian coffee has not been growing 

 for that long. One Indian, 46 years old. recalls that coffee now producing 

 for him was planted when he was a child, which indicates that the 30-year 

 figure is a minimum. This informant said that 40 years is the maximum. 



* From Appendix 1, and probably almost perfectly accurate, since work in 

 coffee groves is standardized much like that in cornfields. However, it may 

 be noted that the time consumed varies with the method of payment of hired 

 labor (it is less if piecework is paid). 



however, the net came to about $7 an acre. 

 Against this must be accounted the investment 

 and the value the land might have for other 

 purposes. 



FRUIT 



Table 36 is based on a hasty count, with a 

 reliable informant, of fruit trees owned by each 

 family in 1941. A census of a sample of a few 

 households indicated that the count consistently 

 tended to understate the number. Visible trees 

 had been noted, but an almost equal number were 

 apparently hidden. Table 36 therefore includes a 

 correction, but the calculations may err as much as 

 25 percent. It is assumed that the fruit situation 

 did not materially change from 1936 to 1941. 



Fruit yields are very variable, depending on the 

 kind, size, and quality of the tree; the estimates 

 here given are based on calculations made with one 

 good informant, checked against other information 

 more casually obtained. The prices are from 

 Appendix 2. Ranges in yields of most fruits are 

 not great; for example, mangos yield from 800 to 

 1,000, cross-sapodillas from 300 to 400, white 

 sapodillas from 600 to 700 (half of which rot on the 

 tree), lima^ from 100 to 150, limes from 500 to 

 600, etc. The greatest variation is in papayas, 

 peaches, oranges, and sour oranges, the yield vary- 



Tablbi36. — Time consumed in and income from fruit growing, 

 1936 



Vegetable pear... 



Orange — 



Sour orange 



Lima 



Lime 



Avocado 



Cross-sapodilla.. 

 White sapodilla.. 

 Spanish plum: 



Petapa 



Chicha 



Corona _. 



A/ico - - 



Tavtalito 



Panchoy 



Papaya 



Peach 



Mango 



Banana... 



Sugarcane 



Total 2,690 



Num 



ber 



of 



trees 



200 

 310 

 150 

 210 



85 

 150 

 100 



40 



100 

 60 

 25 

 10 

 45 

 10 

 40 

 70 

 60 

 1,000 

 25 



Costs 



Hours 

 per 

 year 



(each 

 tree) 



3 

 2 



1 

 1 

 2 

 3 

 3 

 1 



3 



3 



2.6 



2 



3 



2 



1 



1 



3 



Total 

 man. 

 days 

 per 

 year' 



Labor 

 costs 



$11.17 

 11.50 

 2.83 

 3.83 

 3.17 

 8.33 

 5.50 

 .67 



5.50 

 3.33 

 1.17 



.33 

 2.50 



.33 



.67 

 1.33 

 3.33 

 3.33 



.60 



Gross income 



per 

 tree * 



3 125 

 300 

 150 

 125 

 550 

 400 

 3.50 

 325 



2.500 



2.500 



2, 000 



1.500 



3.500 



2,000 



22 



75 



900 



5 



MO 



$104.00 

 232.50 

 21.00 

 52.50 

 46.75 

 199.50 

 117.00 

 26.00 



125. 00 

 00.00 

 33.25 



3.00 

 31.50 

 10.00 



8.80 



6.30 

 108. 00 

 40.00 



7. .50 



Net in- 

 come 



$92. 83 

 221.00 

 IS. 17 

 48.67 

 43. .W 

 191. 17 

 111.50 

 25.33 



119.50 



56.67 



32.08 



2.67 



29.00 



9.67 



8. 13 



4.97 



104. 67 



36.67 



7.00 



1,232.00 1. 163. 28 



' Calculated on the basis of a 9-hour working day. 

 3 Calculated on the basis of prices in Appendix 2. 



• 125 fruits, 7 roots. 



* 40 sections. 



