120 



THE BUSINESS OF AGRICULTURE 



each cow. Cows are kcpl for milk, sold cliicfiy 

 to Ladinos, and are also bred — for which purpose 

 all but one dairy must rent a bull, usually from 

 a Ladino. Bulls or steers are bought as yearlings 

 to fatten for sale; they are frequently gelded (\)y 

 a professional). A calf, bought for 5 dollars, 

 doubles in value in about 2 years when it is ready 

 for sale. A female calf costs about $7, and a milk 

 cow is worth al)0ut $20. A calf new-born is val- 

 ued at about $3, and of course increases in value. 



Cattle are pastured during the day and brought 

 in at night incidental to other work by men, boys, 

 or old men. As oih' infoinuint put it, such ani- 

 mals "arc good for a rich old man like Nicolas 

 Chivalan who cannot woik hard and wlio directs 

 liis mozos and cares for his animals and little 

 else." Cows, however, receive special care, espe- 

 cially when they calve. 'J'he steer-fattening fam- 

 ilies spend some 20 hours a week each on tlieir 

 cattle; the cow-owning households, about 35. 



For a few months in tlie dry season the cattle 

 owner, if he owns no pasture land, frequently 

 rents some from Ladinos, at 50 cents a month. 

 This seems inordinately e.xi)ensive considering the 

 rental cost of land for planting corn and taking 

 into account that pasture land is enriched by use. 

 In the rainy season there is sufficient free ioliage 

 along the lake shore, in the river bed, and along 

 the roadsides. 



Only the value of the manure produced makes 

 it possible for the business of fattening steers to 

 pay. In 2 years a steer consumes 50 cents worth 

 of salt, 30 cents worth of rope, and 3 or 4 dollars 

 may be paid for pasture privileges. With these 

 expenses, the value increases only $5; and mean- 

 while 200 man-days of time (with a normal value 

 of $33) may easily be consumed. Although much 

 of the time has less cash value, it hardly seems 

 worth while to raise cattle. The explanation is 

 that most cattle owners own milpa or pasture 

 land and thus not only pay no rent and enrich 

 their own soil, but collect and sell (or use) the 

 manure of the stable or yard. Cows are probably 

 better business. They are fed the water of corn 

 dough, which amounts to kitchen waste."* Milk 

 (sold for 5 or 10 cents a liter) and calves should make 

 worth while the added time consumed in caring for 

 the cows and their oirsi)ring. Recent sanitary 



•* No family kw^I)in^; cows also keeps pij's. whieli arc also fed this water. 



regulations, however, have put something of a 

 crimp in the business.*" 



Rabbits (kept for pleasure as well as food) and 

 guinea pigs (also eaten) are to unimjjoitant for 

 extended discussion; they are cared for by the 

 children, and eat kittihen waste. 



BEES 



Coxpin bees (or wasi)s) oi'e one of several varie- 

 ties of wild bee found nearby, and the only one 

 now brought to the house in its hollow log. The 

 hive is valued at 10 cents probably l)ecause it 

 I)roduces wax of that value in a year. The 

 children sometimes eat the sour honey, but it has 

 no commercial value, "^i'lie only honey-producung 

 bees now kept are the colmena bees of Eurojjeau 

 origin, hives of which are bought at about $1 each, 

 'i'he only expense connected with their care is the 

 planting of (lowers in the yard (which numy have 

 anyway). But the disadvantage of keeping bees 

 is that they may l(!ave the hivo and house. They 

 produce about a dollar's worth of honey and 30 

 cents' worth of wax a year. 



HORSES AND MULES 



The beasts of burden (there are ru) oxen) are 

 referred to simjjly as "beasts," but mules are ju-e- 

 ferred for burdens, and they usually cost niore. 

 The beasts are used for riding and for carrying 

 loads. Of the 19 households owning them 3 are 

 foreign Indians who use the animals for riding; 

 5 others are wealthy families the head of which 

 in each case has a saddle horse. The remaining 

 1 1 households have pack animals and use them 

 in trade with distant markets. In these cases the 

 merchant is able to take a larger (juantity to 

 market, and the animals may be said to have 

 commercial value. Most Indians doubt that pack 

 animals repay tlieir kcc^p. Since fodder is not 

 plentiful in ranajachel, and tlie animals arc fed 

 considerable amounts of corn, they are probably 

 riglit; but if the manure is taken into considera- 

 tion (as it does not appear to be) horses and mules 

 may possibly be profitable investments. 



These animals are never bred in town; they are 

 bought and sold fully grown, for a variable price 



** The most important Indian dairyman, who had three cows in lU-lO, told 

 mo in 1941 that he had live cows but no calves, henco no milk, but that oven 

 If his cows j>rodiieed milk ho would be unable to sell it without a license, 

 unobtainable unless he built a two-room stable with a cement lloor. 



