QUIEOGA: a MEXICAN MUNICIPIO BRAND 



33 



The population of Atzimbo evidently was much 

 depleted during the period of the revolution, and 

 it has not yet regained the numbers or relative 

 position it held (second largest of the ranchos) 

 in 1900. The population was 207 in 1945; 179 in 

 1940; 159 in 1930; 142 in 1921, and 228 in 1900. 

 In 1945 there were 41 families living in 36 of the 

 44 houses in the settlement. This rancho occupies 

 the most even terrain of any of the settlements, 

 and is laid out in an open or disperse fashion with 

 large solares, and there are cultivated fields be- 

 tween many of the houses. The chapel does not 

 constitute a center for the rancho and there is no 

 important spring of water to condition the settle- 

 ment pattern. Most of the households obtain 

 water from the several shallow wells in the com- 

 munity, and but three get water from the small 

 springs near the arroyo. There is no school at 

 present in Atzimbo, but a private school for boys 

 was in existence in the 1880's and possibly con- 

 tinued until the revolution. According to our 

 census of 1945 there were no literate adults in 

 Atzimbo, but the literacy census of 1945 reported 

 70 individuals above the age of sLx who could read 

 and write. There is no store, but one of the 

 farmers keeps a tendajon in his house. Prac- 

 tically the only occupation is farming, and all of 

 the heads of household are agricultores who own 

 both solares and farm lands excepting one woman 

 (with no stated occupation excepting household 

 chores— guehaceres) and one farm laborer or peon. 

 Because of consolidation of certain family groups 

 in working the farm land there are but 30 listed 

 active farmers. In 1945 all 30 planted maize 

 (1,553 hters), 27 planted wheat (2,508 liters), 28 

 planted kidney beans (498 Hters), and eight 

 planted habas (341 liters). Livestock are not 

 numerous but comprise 366 hens, roosters and 

 pullets, and 31 turkeys; 119 cows, calves, work 

 oxen, and bulls; 65 sheep and 4 goats; 38 pigs; 20 

 burros and 16 horses; 42 beehives; and 43 dogs 

 and 25 cats. Apparently Atzimbo is the one 

 rancho in which there is some attempt to raise 

 fighting cocks. The principal areas of cultivation 

 are named La Joya and El Plan de Atzimbo, La 

 Alameda, El Capulin and Los Capulines, El Des- 

 monte, Los Duraznos, El Encinal, La Espiguilla, 

 El Fresno, El Granjeno, La Loma and La Mesa 

 de Atzimbo, Los Maguey es, Los Nogales or El 



TucuruUo, El Salto, El Cerro de Tucurullo or 

 Jocurullo, San Antonio, and San Ignacio. 



The settlement proper consists of 44 houses and 

 the chapel. All the houses are of 1 story and with 

 roofs of dos aguas. The house walls are principally 

 of planks or spht logs with some use of adobes 

 (33 houses), 6 are adobe, and 5 are of wood; and 

 the roofing material is tile in 40 of the houses. 

 Rooms vary in number from 1 (3 houses) to 5 (2 

 houses); there are 16 houses with 2 rooms, 11 with 

 3 rooms, and 13 with 4 rooms. Flooring is of 

 tampered earth and wood in 21 houses, earth alone 

 in 19 houses, wood alone in 4 houses, and bricks in 

 the chapel. AH but 11 of the buildings are 

 whitewashed or mud-plastered. Between 5 and 9 

 of the houses approximate the Sierra wooden troje. 

 Most of the houses have 2, 3, or 4 doorways, and 

 8 houses have wooden-shuttered window openings. 

 A\\ of the houses have ample solares with yards; 

 16 have associated sementeras; 5 have small fruit 

 orchards; and 3 households raise a few chayotes 

 and chiles. Ten of the households raise flowers in 

 regular pottery flowerpots, and all of the others have 

 a variety of flowering plants in the yards. The 

 most popular flowers are "geraniums," roses, rue, 

 belen, and carnations. The chief fruit trees and 

 shrubs are 152 peaches, 51 cactus clumps, and 

 about 40 agaves, 34 tejocotes, and 18 white zapotes. 

 The chief shade and ornamental trees and shrubs 

 are 51 colorines, 35 yuccas, 21 ash trees, and 

 11 oaks. An indication of lower elevation and 

 warmer winters is to be found in the considerable 

 number of colorines, cactuses, yuccas, and zapotes, 

 as well as the only cosahuates, and Peruvian pepper 

 trees found in the ranchos. Oak and pine wood 

 constitute the only fuel for the house fires. It will 

 be noted that none of the ranchos can afford the 

 use of charcoal. Practically all of the households 

 use kerosene for lighting; and all but four have 

 wooden beds. Further proof of the sophistication 

 and wealth (comparative) of Atzimbo is the 

 presence of 2 carts, 6 sewing machines, 1 phono- 

 graph (the only one in all the ranchos), and 16 metal 

 handmiUs for grinding maize to be used in making 

 tortillas. Although all of the other ranchos have 

 at least 1 or 2 hand miUs, and Icuacato has 23 and 

 Sanambo 18, the considerable number in Atzimbo, 

 together with the predominant use of kerosene for 

 lighting and wooden beds for sleeping, etc., tend 

 to put this rancho in a class by itself. 



