AGRICULTURE AND LOCAL CUSTOMS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00926A007100120001-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 18, 2013
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: June 28, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/01/18 : CIA-RDP80-00926A007100120001-1
COUNTRY
SUBJECT
U.S. Officials Only
CONFIDENTIAI
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
Hungary
Agriculture and Local Customs
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENLF
OF THE UNITED STATES, WITHIN THEMEANING OF TITLE Ie. SECTIONS 793
AND 794. OF THE U.S. CODE. AS AMENDED. iTS TRANSMISSION OR REVS.
LATION OF ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT BY AN UNAUTHORIaD PERSON IS
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
50X1-HUM
DATE DisTR.7,18vJun 1954
50X1-HUM
NO. OF PACES 6
NO. OF ENOLS.
SI?P, TC
REPORT NO,
50X1-HUM
The design and structure of -the farmi in Kecsked -is _similar
to the design and structure of farm bulldings throughout the country.. Here is a
Sketch. givinv the layout of this farm
FR0/11 r V/ EW -
OF 11, i B1-06 A ANN
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The main building is
main building is 5m
is 5 m wide and 15 m
wide and .10 m long
' the outhouseo
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( /4:CW 7- Ar. A ) v /Lc. A G E sr At
5-3 ',fide and 23 m The stable which1.s. attached to the
wide and 8 m long. The Annex (grain bin und farm tools depot)
104g. The hfAy loPt, which is attached the Annex is 5 m
The chicken 'Iouu is located bell!,,,c1 4.1.- -table. In back of it
U.S. Officials Only
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This report Is for the use within the USA of the Intelligence components of the Departments or
Agencies indicated above. It is not to be transmitted overseas without the concurrence of the
originating office through the Assistant Director of the Office of Collection and Dissemination, CIA.
neclassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/01/18: CIA-RDP80-00926A007100120001-1
cnyi _Hum
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- 2
This farm was built of red brick in 1925. The slanting roof juts out over the edges
of the walls and is made of black Eternite shingles, each of them about 16" square.
Only very few buildings is this village are covered with this type of shingle. The
majority of farmbuildings in this village and throughout the country are covered with
tiles, while the barns are usually covered with cement shingles. Slanting roofs are
oommon on farms throughout the country. The farm buildings described here cover an
area of about 500 square meters; farming acreage located outside of the village amounts
to 50 Hungarian Joch. Farm buildings line the country road leading through this village
on each side and the different individual fame are located fairly close to one another.
There are no private farms loft in Eungary. When th(3 Communist regime
was establisbed in Hungary, all private propeety, imluding fax/vs, was in ediately
deolared property of the state. Many farmers,, especially the large esta , holders,
were chased off their property and Communist Party members, mostly townspeople with
no farming experience, took possession,, Farm production lagged behind a a result
incomprAent management. A limited nurker of small farms (up to 5 Hungarian Joch),
cilthough nationalized, we's"%i- left to their origirE7,i r ,ers for managemel, but due to
'heavy quota derwrids these far re ,11 profit And WE 4 forced to find
work on the side0
ey a eing taken over by C=1/Tte ehased
off their farms an -.1 50X1-HUM):
In 194 geese were, still tended by children. Cattle and pigs
eeee eed to pasture by one 'Man for the entire village. They were led out in the morning.
adi returned in the evening. -Very likely this procedure has not changed in the mean-
teeee The. harvest is not stored in separate buildings. It is stored in the farmannex
as shown in the sketch (Pat 1)e 'Cattle and horses are usually kept in the barn, which
ia attached to the main building:of the -farm.
ktarMW) 114U
employed in'
many wOme
ehanged.
development
many of the large estate50X1 -HUM_
peen coiiectivlzed, No farms were collectivized in Keseked. Persons not
industry or agriculture were drafted for work on these collectivized farms
ts). The physical appearance of these large farms has not
the SoViets are more interested in promoting the Indu5trie-
o0X1-HUM
of Sungary and that agriculture suffers as a result.
; * ? it
The normal periods for planting wheat and rye are the beginning of October.
The following spring, April/Mays or ever lAarch If weather conditions allow, planting of
barleys oats, corn and potatoes is done, Wheat, rye, oats and barley are harvested at
the beginning of July; potatoes, corns sugar beets and sun-flower seeds are harvested in
October. The dates for planting and harvesting are the sane all over the country. The
climate is similar to that which predominates in New York State.
No changes in the pre-war crop pattern were made by the communiste
Hungarian f zttere get up at 0400 hours, get dressed and eat breakfast
(usually milk with bread, petatoes.and a piece of bacon). After breakfast the farm
animals (horses and cattle) are fed and at 0600 hours the farmer leaves for work in the
fielde. At noontime lunch s eaten in the field. (bread, a-piece of meat or2 eggs
boiled or fried in the open). At 1220 hours the farmer resumes work and stops working
again at 1700 hours, for a snack (bread with meat and a pitcher of water). After a rest
period of 30 minutes he resumes wOrk and stops at 1900 or. 2000 hours. After getting home
he feeds tbs horses while the wife prepares supper. Between 2200 and 2300 hours-the
entire family has supper and.after.eupper everyone -goes to bed. This is the routine
followed,by Hungarian farmers generally- during plantingsmlehereee time (April to
Maco7-0!), Wintertime days. On the farm are usually spent chopping down trees, making
flrewoo6, feeding-animals etc.. This routine is gener4-al6c; Chroughout the country.
pnt1.47 is done between September and November. Threshing ?done in July .
(usJally rhe laut few days in July). - On large farms, threshing extends over the whole
month of. July, h.lwever. PsrrIly is farm machinery used in Hungary. .Horse or oxen-drawn
sowing machines arkl used generally but mowing machines or tractors are found only on
very lire fame, A have been transformed into kolkhozes. Grain (wheat, rye, barley
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and oats) is still cut by the scythe.
- 3 -
The IoUowing eating
habits are followed by employees of village administrations kusually Communist Party
members). Breakfast at 0800 hours consists of a piece of bread; a cup of milk and
one or two eggs (boiled or fried). This meal is called "Reeeli". Between 1000 and
1030 hours this employee eats a snack which is called "Tisz Oral". It consists of
a sandwich, slice of bread with butter or fat, a tomato, pepper or some fruit in
season, and a glass of water. At noon, between 1200 and 1300 hours,' he has lunch which
called "ebed". It consists of a plate of vegetables, soup with some meat or dumplings
which are called "gompotse, and a glass of water, (Factory _workers and employees are
issued ration coupons which are valid for themselves and their family.'. The food items
listed on these ration coupons are issued to them by the factory- food de,ots and the
cost of the food items are deducted from their pay,) At about 1500 hours the employee
has a snack, called "ozsona", which consists of a sandwich and some fruit (apple or
some grapes). Between 1900 and 2000 hours he ha b supper; which is called "vacsora".
Farmers eating habits are described in Par 6. Me -ems of these mee's are identical.
_
There are no markets held in small villages like Kecsked. Until the end
of 1947
market wail, held in Tatas a town 17 kms from Kecsked,
every Monday and in Tatabanya, a town 12 kics distant from Kecsked market was held
every day during the-week. 'Farmers attend the markets whenever they have products to
sell or when they are in need of some items. Means of traneeertation: Bicycles or
horse or oxen-draWn wagons. 50X1
The grape harvest is still accomplished by the individual farmer and his
family he grain harvest is also accomplished by the farmer individually, although
he Is no longer the owner of his -property. If he should need extra labor he may enlist
the nelp of neighbors on the basis of mutual assistance. Farmers can no longer afford
- hire free labor since quotas established are very high and they manage to
keep going.
There are no sheep in the Kecsked area, only cattle and pigs One herdsman
takes care of these animals for the entire village by leading them to pasture in the
morning; in the- evening he leads them back to the village, In the Kecskemet area, that
is, between Duna-and Tisza, sheep are very abundant, This area abounds also in horses
and cattle, These animals are tended by the Kecskemeti Gsikosok, the equivalent of
the US cowboys. These herds, also sheep-herds, are allowed to graze on the high meadowg
all summer. The herdsmen remain with their herds all summer and use small mountain-cab.
for shelter. Their families usually carry food to them which they prepare in the open.
These herdsmen herd there animals into the mountain foothills in March or beginning
of April, as soon as the snow melts, and remain there until the first snow falls (Octole
November). From one to three bulls in a village community are used for breeding
purposes. Until the end of 1947 no new husbandry practices were introduced
Any type of gifto, except Hungarian money in small denominations, would be
--seeeeeeele Wes,..,4..er, eksq.-6,- ma,,,,,A he ...1,4 #nol. 4-1,e, rvalesee4.4,vs, (14 P4 ^P ovnr 4?trma r&
is
HUM
115
articles would arouse suspicion and endanger persons accepting them. Farmers are forbidden
to provide lodging to strangers unless their arrival has been reported to the village,:'
administration. FarMers are afraid to accept strangers without registering them because
neighbors are liable to denounce them ahd the farmer would be severely puniehed. Never-
theless, strangers can manage to get along fairly well, 'Linguistic ability, knowledge
of local expressions and dialects are great assets, also native mennerisms, walk and
drees.. Old worn and patched clothing never good' clothing? should be worn in order to
avoid suepicion. Use of.a bicycle- With some working utensils slung over the cross-bar
(paint et) may prove very suitable,
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50X1-HUM
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CONFTDFNTIALAYS OFFICIALS ONL1
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There is no place which could provide temporary shelter in the Kesced area,
except in the forests. In order to obtain shelter in a barn, a stranger must produce
identity papers and surrender them to the farmer who in turn presents them for
examination to the village mayor's offies? qiieh is generally staffed with communists.
After a check is made the farmer returns the papers to the stranger'. There are good
landing places for air drops in the Vertes Hegysek and Bakony Hegysek mountains. 50X1 -HL
Principal towns in this areag Szekesfeberv:x and Tatabanya. The largest coal mines
in Hungat'y ate to be found in Tatabanya
these min ee were US owned before
World War TT0 At a distanee of seven kns rrom eesceed, another ,very extensive coal
mining aeea is located at Oroeziany, lbeee very rich fields were'exploited by Soviet
Interests in 1947. A large eeltlment, coesiseing of brick houses, was built there to
accomodate mAller and their famillea.
No wild or poisonous animals or pedsonous plants are encountered in
any part of Pungary.
'
The Altra-er abounds in pike (Geuka) and whitefish (Keseek). A few crabs
VAR) may be found there as well. Cthee etreamr karzy the same type of fieb. Small
flat-bottom boats are used fbm fishing en the lakes. They provide space for 3-4 men
ad may be propelled _by oars, a piece of board or even by the bands. After fishing
these boats are usually tied up to a tree or bush along the banks.
There ere no areas in any part of Hungary where particularly unfavorable
sanitary conditions are encountered. All river water is clear and potable since
drainage in-Act directed into rivers or lakes. All towns maintain standard sanitary
practieee and waSte materials are piped into sewage disposal tanks where they are
straleeei and dried, Insects are generally found on farms only, in the vicinity of
animees. .
Secondary reads are named after the village or town they lead to,
Ie the road Keesked-Orosaany is called Oroszlany In.'.? in roads? are called Orszag ut,
which meant Highways. Roads and highways in the area of Kecsked and Kecskomot are
metalled and in good.cendition. Roads are never numbered. Road-signs indicate the
name of and distance to the next town or village, Ail highway are, at 1 km interval
on each side, equipped with stone marlers which indicate the emme of the next town
or village and the distance thereto.
There are no Other than official names for Keeeked and Kecskemed and this
appies ,o any other populated place in Hungary as well.
ceermers and peasants''underwear consist of long-johns only. No undershirte
are wern. Among ebe ynueger generation shorts are worn instead of long-johns ocoasionally.
T;ermers vee eee5enes o7ji) and worn treus(ern made of fairly poor material, leather
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5
boots (sheep boots), shirts, usually striped or brown, blue or green (white on
.Sundays only), no ties ever, pulpvers (not too frequent) old and worn jackets,
peaked caps (like those worn by jockeys during work-outs also hats (mainly black).
Raincoats are never worn, but occasionally short winter jackets. Coats are never
worn during the summer. Women usually wear wide skirts, blouses and ordinary
half-shoes. Towns-people's clothing is somewhat cleaner and of a little better
material and they are easily recognized as such. In spite of their poverty and
difficulty in obtaining new clothing of any kind, they still try.to make the old
look fairly decent.. The quality of their clothing is not much better, however.
Country people are sloven in appearance, indifferent as to how they look, while
townspeople still dress properly. _F9reigners (western origin) would do well if they
dressed like common peasants, their clothing fairly worn and dirty. They should look
sloppy, unwashed with unkept hair. With such an appearance they would look like a
worker or peasant.
In 1947 gypsies were subject to the same laws
ana regulations vaii,d-Tor all other Hungarlan citizens. They were n(? longer per 50X1-HUM
mitted to roam freely. Like every other Hungarian citizen, the gypsy must be in
possession of identification papers and he must -4gister for empioyment in industry
or agrioultureo Gypsies are forced to accept assignments givel, them by state
authorities and they must live in the area whezk, they are employed.
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