70 



INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHEOPOLOGY — PUBLICATION NO. 1 2 



Umas and limes 17 each, pears 18, grapes 24, cit- 

 rons 50, mangoes 59, jaboticdhos 87, pineapples 112, 

 oranges 215, bananas 568;^" or a total of 1,252 

 fruit-bearing plants on the 17 farms. 



Of the bananas, seven species are gi-own, called 

 locally : nanlca, prata, maQd, Sao Tome, da terra, 

 roxa, and de caroqo. The nanica, a small, rather 

 sweet banana, is the principal kind grown in the 

 State of Sao Paulo, and the prata, a somewhat 

 larger and less sweet banana, is the next most com- 

 mon. The magd (apple) is so named for its faint 

 resemblance in taste to the apple. Da terra is 

 plantain and is always cooked before being eaten. 

 The other three kinds are gi-own only occasion- 

 ally : the Sao Tome is a short, thick banana ; the 

 "oxa (purple) is a species of "I'ed" banana; the de 

 t'.aroQO (pit, or seed) has many seeds and some 

 persons do not care for it. 



On only one of the 17 farms was fruit being 

 grown for sale. At the time it was visited, a field 

 of pineapples, with an estimated 1,200 plants was 

 in cultivation and there were an estimated 300 

 banana plants. 



There are three farms in the commimity which 

 were not included in this sample and which sell 

 fruit to other families. On one of these farms, 

 there are oranges, bananas, papayas, peaches, ca- 

 quis, and grapes; only bananas, however, are 

 grown in quantities sufficient for other than home 

 consumption. On another farm, are grown or- 

 anges, tangerines, pears, quince, avocados, jaboti- 

 cdbas, caquis, and grapes; only oranges and tan- 

 gerines, however, are produced in quantities suf- 

 ficient for sale. From the third farm, bananas, 

 oranges, and pineapples are sometimes sold. One 

 of the three farmers himself does the grafting of 

 trees on his farm. 



Only a few families in the village have fruit 

 trees. At the back of one house, for instance, is 

 an orange tree and a mango tree. Another family 

 has an orange tree, a tangerine tree, and six papaya 

 trees. A third family has an orange tree and two 

 grapevines. Another family has only a tangerine 

 tree. Nowhere in the community is fruit sprayed. 

 As has been indicated, no canning is done. 



"• Since in 10 of tlip 14 instances invoU-ed, tliis figure is com- 

 posed of "round numbers." 3 of Tvhich are relatively large 

 and since a tendency to overestimate actual numbers was noted,. 

 It is probalile tliat this figure is somewliat larger than the actual 

 number of banana plants. 



THE MUTIRAO 



The mutirdo was once an important institution 

 in this area. Several neighboring farmers would 

 get together to help one of their number with 

 some activity, such as the planting, hoeing, or 

 harvesting of a field, or the building of a house 

 or other shelter. Often while working, the men 

 sang. Meanwhile, the wives, mothers, and sisters 

 would gather at the house to help prepare the 

 food. After the day's work was over, there would 

 be feasting. Then "someone would bring out a 

 violdo and play it in the terreiro^'' recalls a farm- 

 er's wife, "or maybe there would be a samba.^^ 

 The term demdo (aid, help) occasionally is also 

 employed in referring to this institution. 



Today, the mutirdo has virtually disappeared. 

 It is said to be 20 years since the last gathering 

 of this sort occurred in or about the village. 

 For one thing, fields are smaller than they used 

 to be. Inheritance is splitting up the land into 

 constantly deci-easing holdings. (See Wealth and 

 Property, p. 97.) The diversification of crops 

 has further reduced individual plantings. In- 

 creasing population under the condition of a static 

 land supply is also beginning to diversify em- 

 ployment. Several heads of families do not own 

 land, and consequently cannot get a return for 

 the labor they might put into a mutirdo on an- 

 other man's farm. The invasion of a money 

 economy has also worked against an institution 

 which was based upon an exchange of services. 

 The decrease in the food supply of the region, 

 in proportion to the population, and the conse- 

 quent increase in prices, coupled with the exten- 

 sive inflation of recent years in Brazil, has made 

 the mutirdo uneconomical, the cost of the feasting 

 which one would like to furnish his neighbors 

 being virtually prohibitive under the present 

 limited income of most local farmers. It would 

 also seem that the economic return from the 

 m,utirdo which a farmer might be expected to re- 

 ceive has declined by reason of a decrease in the 

 quantity and quality of workmanship. 



Seventeen men whose farms were visited and 

 who replied to the question, "T\^iy do you no 

 longer 'have mutirdd' ?" gave the following replies : 



I plant very little. 



My fields are small. 



I do not farm very much and the family can handle it 



I can do all my work myself. 



