CENTRAL AMERICA AND UNITED STATES 239 



on the coffee plantations. An export duty of one cent 

 per bunch is now charged. 



The outlet for the banana is Port Limon on the Caribbean. 

 To tap the banana districts, the main line of railroad, 

 leased and operated by the United Fruit Company 

 under the name of the Costa Rican Northern Railroad, 

 extends from Port Limon to San Jos, the capital, 103 

 miles distant, and 5000 ft. above the sea. From the main 

 line extend a number of branches, and from the branches 

 other spurs and tramways, the whole forming a system of 

 veins and arteries for the transportation of bananas. 

 Every effort is made to get the bananas from the trees to 

 the ship as soon as possible and with the minimum handling. 

 The main line is a common carrier of both passengers and 

 freight. At Port Limon the company has built a number 

 of steel piers from which the ships are loaded with bananas 

 and coffee by special machinery. The company has large 

 offices in Port Limon, and has in addition a wireless 

 station, a hospital, quarters for its employes, light and 

 power plants, and wholesale and retail stores. The 

 Government receives a direct as well as an indirect revenue 

 from the fruit company through an export tax of one cent 

 gold upon each bunch of bananas sent out of Costa Rica. 

 The big banana- growing districts practically end in the 

 foothills of the mountain range which divides Costa Rica, 

 and where bananas stop coffee begins. 



The company has developed other activities, which 

 include railroads, stores, telegraph and telephone systems, 

 light and power plants, hospitals, schools, and various 

 forms of agriculture and stock-raising. 



Another company has begun to operate in the country 

 to the north of Port Limon. 



PANAMA. Bananas are the chief export, other exports 

 being insignificant in amount and value. The entire 

 export of bananas comes from the plantations of the 

 United Fruit Company at Bocas del Toro, and amounted 

 to 3,643,900 bunches, valued at 184,257, in 1910, and to 

 4,297,260 bunches, valued at 214,835, in 1911. 



