CHERAN: a sierra TARASCAN village — BEALS 



65 



Table 1. — Estimates of maize yields in Chcrdn — 

 Continued 



ESTIMATE BASED ON OBSERVATIONS AT HARVEST 



In addition to securing data on yield, i.e., 

 income, for maize, an effort was made to secure 

 data on production costs. General statements 

 as to the amount of time put in on farm work 

 proved worthless. Usually the time given 

 would scarcely provide for a single weeding. 

 The best figures were secured by breaking 

 down the different steps and getting exper- 

 ienced farmers to estimate the time necessary 

 for cultivating 1 hectare. A summary of such 

 data gives the following : 



Labor of owner: Paus 



First plowing 10 



Second plowing (at right angles) 10 



Sowing 3 



First cultivation (with plow) 4 



Second cultivation (with plow) 3 



First weeding (with sickle or machete) 3 



Second weeding (often omitted) 3 



Harvest 1 



Carrying maize to house (estimated average) 5 



Total 42 



Hired labor: 



Sowing (2 peons) 3 



Harvesting (3 peons) 1 



Costs: 



Owner's labor (42 days valued at $0.45 a 

 day outside of planting and harvesting 

 time) $18.90 



2 peons for 3 days 3.00 



3 peons for 1 day 1.50 



Total $23.40 



On the assumption that a man will own 

 sufficient land to require hired labor, the sum- 

 mary given above includes 9 man days of hired 

 labor at a cost of $4.50 or a total of 51 man days 

 of labor worth $23.40. To this must be added 

 $30 for hire of an ox team if one is not owned, 

 probably $1 in taxes, and $2.50 for the value of 

 the seed corn (one-half fancga) , or a total of 

 $56.90. If this is about an average piece of land, 

 the yield will be 15 to 20 fanegas of shelled 



maize, for which the farmer should receive from 

 $75 to $120, or a profit of $22.10 to $63.10. 

 From this, in theory, should be deducted interest 

 on the investment in land and equipment as well 

 as a depreciation allowance on the equipment. 

 If the land is worth $90 (above average), it 

 would seem fair to allow at least $11 for these 

 charges, which still leaves a profit of $11.10 to 

 $52.10.-'3 



As will be seen in later discussions, this 

 makes maize farming on average or better land 

 probably one of the most worth-while businesses 

 in Chenin. Obviously there are elements of 

 risk. Farmers on poor land, moreover, prob- 

 ably get no profits at all on this basis, for labor 

 and expenses would be reduced very little rela- 

 tive to reductions in yield. The second weed- 

 ing and part of the harvesting expenses might 

 be eliminated. But if the yield is as low as 

 l'/2 fanegas (as has been reported) a man 

 would get virtually no return at all. If he had 

 his own ox team and did all his own work 

 (with the help of sons or his wife), he might 

 get $4 to $5 worth of maize for his effort after 

 deducting the costs of seed and taxes. From 

 the standpoint of our economy, there is obvious- 

 ly a very considerable net loss. 



To view the agricultural situation in Cheran 

 only from the standpoint of our economy, how- 

 ever, would be grossly misleading, for to do so 

 does not take into account numerous cultural 

 factors. The Cheran point of view does not 

 reckon agricultural activity in terms of interest, 

 profits, and wages, but in terms of maize in the 

 storage house. I have already mentioned that 

 harvest workers refused an increase in wages 

 from 50 centavos to $1 if the right to glean 

 were rescinded. Most observers agree that the 

 amount of maize obtained from gleaning in a 

 day is less than can be bought for 50 centavos. 

 At $1 the workman could therefore buy more 

 corn than his wife could obtain by gleaning. 

 The large farmers would get a more thorough 

 harvest and would not have to employ super- 

 visors. On a bookkeeping basis, everyone 

 would benefit. But the harvest hand would 

 not have a load of maize, small though it might 

 be, to carry home from a day's work; he would 

 have only an inedible silver peso in his pocket. 



"2 Charcres for animals to carry the crop and for watchmen and 

 storage facilities are not included. 



