Comparative Notes 15 



employed in the estates can procure their main 

 necessities of life, such as maize, rice, corn, 

 beans, salt, or articles of clothing, and also 

 light agricultural implements, to enable the 

 natives to cultivate their land. In some estates 

 I was surprised to see that on pay-day 

 (Saturday) the majority of the natives used to 

 spend the greater part of their earnings, if not 

 all, at the stores, which amounts to practically 

 keeping the same amount of cash in hand at the 

 plantation, and some planters, I believe, make 

 a fine business alone out of the stores. Of 

 course this may not be practical in some planta- 

 tions, especially those situated too near a town, 

 but no one better than the planter is able to 

 judge of this. However, one of the most 

 important things to have in a coffee plantation 

 is a medical book dealing with and describing 

 methods for attending emergency cases and 

 minor sufferings, such as cuts, snake bites, and 

 cases of malaria, dysentery, etc. A medicine 

 chest is also necessary. In all the coffee estates 

 I have visited in Mexico and Central America 

 they had this, particularly in plantations 

 situated at long distances from any professional 

 assistance. How often have I seen natives 

 unable to walk or handle anything, due to some 

 accident in their plantation, and how relieved 

 they are when the planter is able to give the 



