34 



We are now passing into the tierra templada of Standley,' the 

 region in which most of the population is found. The curves become 

 sharper and the grades if possible more steep, as we realize when a 

 brisk shower descends and the track becomes so slippery that the 

 train is stalled until the rails are sanded and the plucky little engine 

 jerks the train into motion, while we breathe more easily although 

 we realize that perhaps we should have bought some of that fried 

 chicken which was offered at the car windows while we stopped at 

 Turrialba. The view of river and mountains grows more expansive, 

 and Roever's Leica is in frequent use. At length an altitude of 5137 

 feet is attained at the Continental Divide just beyond Cartago, the 

 former capital, which was levelled by an earthquake thirty-odd years 

 ago. The train slides down the remaining ten miles to San Jose, 

 situated at an altitude of 3800 feet among the coffee plantations in 

 the saucer-shaped ''meseta central." 



San Jose was our headquarters for most of the two months, and 

 was convenient because of the bus lines radiating in every direction. 

 Under the guidance of Director \'alerio and Dr. A. Skutch of the 

 ]\Iuseo Xacional, we made our first excursion to the tierra jria, go- 

 ing by auto on one of the few paved roads until an elevation of 6800 

 feet was reached, where we found the way blocked by a landslide. 

 So we finished on foot the few miles to the hamlet called Varra 

 Blanca, where we spent a memorable week. Here no crops except 

 potatoes are raised, and the universal industry is dairying. Milk, 

 tortillas, beans and rice are the -staple articles of diet. As we wand- 

 ered out into the fields we were at once attracted by huge pink 

 bouquets formed by old oak trunks covered with climbing shrubs 

 belonging to the ericaceous genus Cavendishia. The dominance of 

 epiph}1;es astonished us until it was realized that these plants en- 

 joyed plenty of light, air and water, also immunity from grazing 

 animals. Every tree had its assortment of "air-plants," chiefly ferns 

 and orchids. One large shagg}^ species of Trichomanes {T. liicens) 

 attracted attention, also what appeared to be a fleshy spleenwort 

 (Enferosora spongiosa). One tree was beautifully mantled by a 

 vigorous specimen of the familiar Polypodium aurewn, below which 

 a border of Nephrolepis pendula was added by way of good measure. 

 The fragrant Aspleniinn auritum adorned the base of most trees, 



- Standley, P. C. Flora of Costa Rica, part 1. Chicago, 1937. 



