COSTA lilVA 



147 



In it one finds flowering plants in full bloom througlKnit the 

 year, and from it every room of the house has a never-ceasing 

 current of air charged with a delightful odor. 



JCverybody in Costa Rica who has money and some and>ition 

 is either directly or indirectly interested in farms. The gentle- 

 man farmers are the rulers of the land. Coflee farming is the 

 ])rimaryindustr\\ si nee Costa HicancotVeehiis become famous and 

 commands very high prices. Almost anywhere within a radius 



A STRKET IN SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA 



of fifty miles one can find coffee farms, either in their infancy or in 

 full development, with shade trees to protect the young plants. 

 Cof!ee plants in bloom are among the most beautiful sights in 

 nature. Three years after the planting of the young cofiee bush 

 it bears its first fruit. The crop increases until the eighth year; 

 after that, for fifteen years, the crops are more or less even. In 

 the first weeks of December the l)erry is of a bright red color, 

 which indicates that the cof!ee is fully rii)e. Kvery man. woman, 

 and child is pressed into the service of picking coiVee. and with 



