210 



While these results indicate a reduction in the proportion of people planting gardens, planting 

 gardens continues to be an important cultural activity. The results indicate that Maya gardeners, as 

 they have done for more than 100 y, still frequently work together in teams composed of friends or 

 family members (Murphy, 1990; Villa Rojas, 1987) rather than individually plant a garden. Working 

 together has many benefits because the various activities associated with planting are difficult, time 

 consuming, labor intensive, and expose the gardener to the hot sun and high temperatures of the area. 

 By working together, for example, gardeners finish the work sooner. In addition, if one of the 

 gardeners becomes ill or decides to work elsewhere temporarily, the other partner will be able to 

 continue caring for the garden. Thus, working together enhances the chances that the garden will be 

 harvested in spite of unexpected events that could keep a Maya gardener from tending his crops. 



The results for X-Hazil Sur also suggest that the Maya gardeners may be changing the number of 

 gardens they plant per household per year. According to other studies in the Yucatan Peninsula, the 

 Maya typically plant two gardens per household per year (Murphy, 1990; Villa Rojas, 1987). The 

 results for X-Hazil Sur indicated that gardeners planted 1.2-1.3 gardens per garden group per year. 

 While a garden group and a household are different units of measurement, they are roughly equivalent 

 for this type of comparison. This results suggest that Maya gardeners are tending fewer fields than as 

 recently as 60 y ago. 



Gardens 



Annual horticultural cvcle . Gardening, as practiced at X-Hazil Sur, is similar to gardening 

 practiced by Maya elsewhere in the Yucatan Peninsula (cf.. Murphy, 1990; Redfield and Villa Rojas, 

 1962; Smith and Cameron, 1977; Villa Rojas, 1987). This is to be expected given the similar soils, 

 topography, and climate of the region (Mosely and Terry, 1980). 



The single most important factor affecting the annual horticultural cycle is rainfall. In order for 

 gardens to be successful, heavy rains must begin in May or June, when gardens should be planted, and 

 cease in November or December, when com should be harvested. The 1989 growing season was 



