A Móra Ferenc Múzeum Évkönyve: Studia Ethnographica 3. (Szeged, 2001)

Fodor Ferenc: A Duna–Tisza közi homokhátság délkeleti részének paraszti gazdálkodása a második világháborúig

The Peasant Economy in the Southern-Eastern Part of the Sand Ridge Region between the Rivers Danube and Tisza until World War Two In the past decades Hungarian ethnology paid little attention to the history of the peasant economy in the sand ridge region between the rivers Danube and Tisza. Only a few sociological, sociographical and ecogeographical studies deal with peasantry. The region examined by me became populated mainly in the late nineteenth century. This barely fertile land is a sand region. Due to the phylloxera damages at the end of the nineteenth century, the sand areas' value grew and after the Peace Treaty of Trianon the sand ridge region's economy and culture started to boom. The world economic crisis brought the large-scale mechanisation to a halt. The economy was based on animal husbandry and fodder plant cultivation. In addition, several farms had large enough vineyards to provide income and these were cultivated in the well-structured communities. Apple, plum, pear, cherry and peach trees were planted among the grapevines. Fruit growing became important especially in and around the villages of Zsombó and Szatymaz. In the regions of the villages of Balotaszállás, Pusztamérges, Öttömös and Csólyospálos cabbage growing played a significant role in farming The cabbages were sold or exchanged for maize in the villages of Mélykút or Jánoshalma. In the villages of Kömpöc the tobacco growers who were sent away from the Pallavicini manor in 1852 established tobacco growing, which was adopted by the population of the nearby villages as well. At the outskirts of the town of Kiskunfélegyháza the long-established poultry husbandry continued and due to the market gardeners' earlier activities in the town, growing horseradish became more and more prominent in and around Bugac. Animal husbandry remained dominant in the areas previously belonging to the town of Kiskunhalas. On the lands belonging to Szeged-Alsóváros the long-established growing of red paprika became increasingly important. It was realised that the harder sand soil is excellent for growing other vegetables as well. Due to the looting and ravages of Soviet troops in World War Two, a major part of peasant farms were nearly entirely destroyed. 97