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INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY PUBLICATION NO. 13 



"only in May, when the tree is leafless ; otherwise, 

 the latex will not run." A tree tapped for the 

 first time is said to be cut spirally, starting well 

 up the trunk and proceeding downward. How- 

 ever, on subsequent occasions, incisions are made 

 in the form of a V. A bamboo at the base of the 

 tree conducts the latex to a container. 



Coagulation 14 takes place in a clay pot, with- 

 out heating. The stem of a vine (No. 358) is cut 

 in short pieces and crushed. Together with water, 

 the pulp is added to the latex, whereupon the latter 

 is said to coagulate. In this form, rubber is sold 

 in Papantla at $40.00 to $45.00 pesos a "tin," which 

 is a 5-gallon alcohol container. One tree generally 

 produces about half a tin. 



The general verdict is that "here we do nothing 

 with rubber." Nevertheless, the Mexican rubber 

 tree evidently grows in Tajin, without much en- 

 couragement or care, and it is not impossible that 

 small-scale planting of commercial rubber (which, 

 botanically, is quite distinct from the local tree) 

 might profitably be incorporated into Totonac 

 economy. It might relieve, in part, the de- 

 pendence upon vanilla, whose yield is highly 

 variable, and whose market price likewise fluctu- 

 ates, but often is pegged so low by Papantla buy- 

 ers that there is little profit in planting. Moreover, 

 the vanilla crop fails not infrequently, owing to 

 spring drought. In such a case, the only major 

 cash crop on which the Totonac can depend is 

 their sugarcane. The addition of rubber, if feas- 

 ible, would make for a more diversified and more 

 stable economy. 



At present, there is widespread interest in es- 

 tablishing a permanent rubber industry in Mexico, 

 and the Federal government is providing ejido 

 communities farther south with disease-resistant 

 domes of the commercial rubber tree. The ex- 

 tension of the program to Tajin might be worthy 

 of consideration. At least, it could do no harm 

 to have local possibilities surveyed and, if they 

 seem favorable, arrange for a small experimental 

 planting. 



ANIMAL HUSBANDRY 



Livestock is limited. There is no head of cattle 

 of any description in the entire community of 



14 In the midnineteenth century, Bausa (p. 404) reports the use 

 in Papantla of the liana sarnoso to coagulate rubber ; this presum- 

 ably Is our No. 305. 



Tajin, and there are no sheep and no goats. But 

 more than half the families, not always the most 

 prosperous, have a riding animal ; and many have 

 a pig or two. Fowl and bees are prominent in local 

 economy. 



The absence of cattle is noteworthy, for Tlahua- 

 napa, the agrarian community which adjoins 

 Tajin on the southeast, is said to have a fair dairy 

 industry, and the Papantla zone in general is con- 

 sidered good cattle country. As a matter of fact, 

 about 15 years ago, there were a few milk cows in 

 Tajin. Josefina Garcia is said to have had close 

 to a dozen. Although there was no demand for the 

 milk, it was possible to sell a certain amount of 

 cheese. However, two of her cows died from snake 

 bite; another, from some undefined illness. The 

 remaining animals were sold, and since that time 

 there have been no cattle in Tajin. For this, vari- 

 ous reasons are given. Santiago Simbron thinks 

 there is not sufficient water during the spring. 

 Dona Josefina herself says that cattle result in 

 complications with one's neighbors. Since it is 

 not customary to fence fields, livestock is likely to 

 wander into the milpa — and complaints, bicker- 

 ings, and damages result without fail. 



DONKEYS, HORSES, MULES 



The consensus of opinion is uniform : as between 

 the donkey, horse, and mule, the mule is by far 

 the most satisfactory, as well as the most expen- 

 sive to purchase. 



The donkey (bwrro) is of limited utility. It 

 serves to haul cane f rom the field to the mill ; it is 

 useful in transporting firewood; and it can serve 

 as a mount. But it mires in deep mud, hence 

 during much of the year is of relatively little use, 

 either for cargo or for riding. 



The horse is considered a luxury item, since it is 

 used principally for riding and has far less resist- 

 ance than a mule. Some pack cargo on their 

 horses — but they are not first-class animals in the 

 first place, and in the second, they do not improve 

 with such use. 



A horse, not in its prime, costs around $200 pesos. 

 At that price, Santiago Simbron sold his, and at 

 the same price, he bought another, of about the 

 same category. A really good mount runs between ' 

 $350 and $400 pesos — which few families can af- 

 ford to invest in an animal which does little but 

 transport its owner in style to Papantla of a Sun- 



