130 



THE BUSINESS OF AGRICULTURE 



however; it may be argued that they can afford to 

 take the loss to assure a supply. However, the 

 Indians also argue that beans enrich the soil, so 

 that onions or garlic may be planted immediately 

 with excellent results. 



With respect to garden agriculture, at least, the 

 Indians are always willing to try new plants, or 

 different seeds, or new techniques. Among some 

 of them experimenting is a constant procedure. 

 A few examples may be mentioned; in 1936 one 

 Indian reported that he had planted a cuerda of 

 each of two different kinds of onion seedlings, and 

 that if one kind did not work out well, he would 

 replace them with the other. A woman planted 

 squash in tablones in the fall so they would be 

 ready for market in Lent when the price is very 

 high; other Indians, who had tried to do the same 

 thing with poor results concluded that her success 

 came from the seed she used, and they tried in 

 vain to buy some from her. Indians keep trying 

 to plant onions closer together to get a larger crop ; 

 but the onions result too small; nobody has suc- 

 ceeded in bettering the 4-inch distance. I brought 

 a number of seeds from the United States in 1936, 

 and there was a great rush for them among the 

 Indians. Included was broccoli, of which the 

 Indians had never heard. The recipients not 

 only grew it but planted some of their own the 

 next year. An Indian asked me about some kind 

 of fertilizer that had once been brought to town; 

 he said it cost several dollars a bag, but that he 

 wanted to buy some because with only a pinch to 

 each plant, the vegetables grew enormously. 

 Perhaps the best example of pure experimentation 

 is that of the Indian who in 1936 completed an 

 experiment to get better onion seedlings. After 

 planting the seed, instead of covering it with black 

 earth, he brought sand from the river bed and 

 spread it over the watered seeds. The seeds 

 sprouted quickly, grew fast, and the onions were 

 much better than ever before in the same bed. 

 He reported his success to others. 



Crops have changed considerably in the memory 

 of people still living. Carrots, beets, turnips, 

 lettuce, and a few others are very recent introduc- 

 tions. A new radish has partly displaced the older 

 variety which is called "native." Cabbage grown 

 from packaged seed is also new ; years ago a native 

 cabbage grown from shoots was a very important 

 crop, but consumers preferred the new variety 

 and the other has disappeared. Strawberries were 



very recent in 1936, and by 1941 the quantity 

 grown by Indians increased so that the price 

 dropped to a third or fourth of what it was. An 

 older variety of sweetpotato is said to have been 

 grown in great quantities in rows; now, less 

 valuable, two new varieties are grown only on the 

 edges of tablones. Sweet cassava, now so common 

 in Panajachel, is said to have been brought up 

 from the coast. Chile used to grow much more 

 plentifully than now; it probably went out because 

 of the advantages of the dry red chUe sold in the 

 market. Peas were once a most important crop, 

 grown by the cuerda in garden beds, or like corn; 

 but they produce better elsewhere and have 

 practically been abandoned. The Indians also 

 say that once anise grew in quantity in Pana- 

 jachel; but the "spirit" left, and anise now grows 

 in San Antonio. But pepinos, which were a San 

 Antonio crop now grow only in Panajachel. I was 

 told the name of the first Panajacheleno to grow 

 pepinos by an informant who claimed to have been 

 the second. When the first pepino grower reaped 

 a good harvest and got a good price, he asked him 

 for but was refused branches to plant; but when 

 passing through San Antonio later a farmer 

 working in his pepino field willingly sold him a 

 carrying frame full of branches. Tomatoes were 

 abundant in Panajachel until Antoneros began to 

 grow them; they seemed to take away the spirit, 

 so Panajachel tomatoes are poor. Now the 

 Antoneros are begirming to plant onions, and the 

 Indians are very worried; actually they complain 

 about a sickness attacking onions and garlic. 



Discussing such matters at a wake in 1937, one 

 of the Indians remarked the curious fact that 

 although San Antonio lands are near those of 

 Panajachel, and are cultivated in the same way, 

 the onion seed that they produce is no good, while 

 that which is grown by Jorgenos is very good (and 

 better than that of Panajachelenos). When a 

 second opined that perhaps the Jorgenos now have 

 the spirit of the Panajachel onions, or that San 

 Francisco (the patron of Panajachel) likes them 

 better, or Panajachelenos less, as punishment for 

 something, the first suggested that they petition 

 the Minister of Agriculture to stop Antoiieros from 

 raising onion seed so that Panajachel would not 

 lose its only business. A third man argued against 

 this suggestion, saying that the Antoneros could 

 then do the same and ask that Panajachelenos 

 plant no more pepinos; he added his view that 



