EMPIRES CHILDREN: THE PEOPLE OF TZINTZUNTZAN FOSTER 



63 



of water, 15 cm. or more deep, are arranged in 

 terraces up the hillside. There is almost no run- 

 off, and the captured water works slowly into 

 the ground. Tzintzuntzan farmers were practic- 

 ing contour plowing long before the word was 

 heard in the United States. 



By mid-September the stalks are 2 to 3 m. 

 tall, well-tasseled, and the ears beginning to 

 form; roasting ears, elotes, will be ready by the 

 end of the month. Each milpa is a veritable 

 jungle; each stalk supports a climbing bean 

 plant, and creeping squash vines cover all the 

 earth. Unlike the custom in many parts of Mex- 

 ico, the stalks are not doubled, but allowed to 

 mature at full height. The lakeside milpas to 

 be planted in wheat are cut beginning about 

 mid-October and the stalks formed in shocks, 

 or toros ("bulls") in the center of the field. A 

 single plowing clears the roots and suffices for 

 the wheat planting. Then the farmer husks the 

 still slightly soft ears with a metal blade, a pis- 

 cador, leaving them in the sun to harden. The 

 largest ears have a single layer of husk left on, 

 and the smaller are entirely cleaned. Black 

 maize is tied in mancuernas ("pairs") to be 

 hung from house rafters. Fields not to be plant- 

 ed immediately are not cut. The ears are husked 

 and carried home when thoroughly mature, and 

 stock is turned loose to forage. 



Three basic maize colors, which correspond 

 to well-known Mexican varieties, are grown. 

 Maiz criollo, locally known as pipitillo or maiz 

 bianco, has heavily dented yellow-white grains 

 on a narrow cob. It is preferred for tortillas, 

 and because this is the most important form in 

 which maize is taken, accounts for 75 percent 

 01 more of all plantings. Maiz almidonoso mo- 

 rado, locally known as maiz prieto, is dent or 

 semident, with near-black, slightly oily grains. 

 It is used for some kinds of atole and also tor- 

 tillas, which are bluish in color and considered 

 somewhat inferior to those made of the white 

 maize because they are tougher in consistency. 

 Maiz almidonoso Colorado, locally known as 

 maiz Colorado, is dent or semident with rich 

 red grains. It is used for pozole, pinole, and 

 some kinds of atole. Maiz pinto results from 

 crosses between the three basic types. Ears with 

 red and white, red and black, white and black, 

 or all three colors of grains are found. Stalks 

 of all types are tall, often reaching a height of 



well over 3 m. Because of weak root systems 

 winds often cause great damage in maize fields. 



All maizes are sown at the same time, but 

 mature at slightly different intervals. Greatest 

 variety is shown by the Colorado, which actually 

 comprises two types, the violento, characterized 

 by a very narrow cob, and the tardon, which 

 has a thick cob. The former is first to have 

 roasting ears, followed a week later by the 

 bianco and prieto, and 2 weeks later by the Co- 

 lorado tardon. All types are harvested at the 

 same time. 



Crop hazards are numerous. Lack of rain is 

 always a potential danger. Maize should be 

 sown 2 or 3 days after a good rain, so that the 

 ground is moist but not soaked. A good rain 4 

 or 5 days after planting is essential. Other- 

 wise there will be insufficient moisture to sprout 

 the seed, and replanting may be necessary. At 

 [his time the seed is vulnerable to a black ant 

 which eats and destroys it. Heavy following 

 rains and rapid growth eliminate this danger. 

 Small rodents eat the tender leaves of the plant. 

 Dogs may be tied in fields in the hope that their 

 barking will frighten away animals. Flocks of 

 tarengos (towhee), which attack the ripening 

 ears, are combated, rather ineffectually, with 

 scarecrows. 



Maize is planted by 101 families. Tliis figure, 

 which is considerably greater than the census 

 list of 66 full- and part-time farmers, is explain- 

 ed by the fact that a number of individuals 

 plant small gardens in their house lots. 



BEANS 



As has been seen, beans are planted with 

 maize, a bean with each several grains of maize 

 on the lakeshores, and an additional bean be- 

 tween maize plants on the hillsides. This double 

 quantity of seed on the lakeshores would pro- 

 duce such a thick growth that the maize would 

 be strangled out. Fewer beans sprout on the 

 hillsides, so the number of plants is about equal 

 in both types of soil. All beans are climbing 

 types, and are known by names which have a 

 fairly wide acceptance in Mexico. Most pop- 

 ular is the bayo, a buff-colored bean about 1.5 

 cm. in length. The rosa de castilla looks very 

 much like the bayo, but has a reddish-purple 

 cast. The rancliero corriente has the same color- 



