﻿COSTA 
  RICA, 
  LAND 
  OF 
  THE 
  BANANA 
  

  

  207 
  

  

  eign 
  exploitation, 
  it 
  

   is 
  not 
  of 
  such 
  vital 
  in- 
  

   terest 
  to 
  the 
  people 
  as 
  

   is 
  coffee. 
  A 
  failure 
  of 
  

   the 
  banana 
  crop 
  affects 
  

   the 
  profits 
  of 
  the 
  fruit 
  

   company; 
  a 
  failure 
  of 
  

   the 
  coffee 
  crop 
  affects 
  

   every 
  bank 
  in 
  Costa 
  

   Rica, 
  and 
  may 
  even 
  

   threaten 
  the 
  stability 
  

   of 
  the 
  administration 
  

   then 
  in 
  power, 
  since 
  

   voters 
  do 
  not 
  always 
  

   reason 
  closely 
  from 
  

   cause 
  to 
  effect, 
  in 
  

   times 
  of 
  financial 
  

   stringency. 
  

  

  AMONG 
  BLOOMING 
  

  

  COFFEE-TREES 
  

  

  Surely, 
  not 
  even 
  

   Japan 
  in 
  cherry-blos- 
  

   som 
  time 
  can 
  be 
  more 
  

   beautiful 
  than 
  the 
  cof- 
  

   fee 
  country, 
  occupying 
  

   valleys 
  at 
  an 
  elevation 
  

   of 
  from 
  3,000 
  to 
  5,000 
  

   feet, 
  when 
  the 
  snow 
  of 
  

   the 
  blossoms 
  hangs 
  

   like 
  a 
  mantle 
  over 
  the 
  

   land, 
  and 
  their 
  per- 
  

   fume 
  subdues 
  the 
  

   strong 
  scents 
  of 
  the 
  

   forest. 
  Plantations 
  are 
  

   mostly 
  small, 
  peasant 
  

   proprietorship 
  being 
  

   the 
  rule, 
  and 
  each 
  has 
  

   its 
  one-room 
  house 
  with 
  a 
  tile 
  or 
  corru- 
  

   gated 
  iron 
  roof 
  covering 
  a 
  heterogeneous 
  

   assortment 
  of 
  men, 
  women, 
  and 
  children, 
  

   monkeys, 
  parrots, 
  and 
  dogs. 
  But 
  the 
  in- 
  

   dustry 
  can 
  be 
  better 
  studied 
  on 
  a 
  larger 
  

   fine 
  a, 
  that 
  of 
  50 
  acres, 
  which 
  I 
  have 
  in 
  

   mind, 
  near 
  San 
  Jose, 
  supporting 
  50,000 
  

   trees. 
  

  

  As 
  we 
  walk 
  between 
  the 
  rows 
  of 
  bushes, 
  

   six 
  feet 
  high 
  and 
  colored 
  with 
  the 
  deep 
  

   but 
  vivid 
  red 
  of 
  ripe 
  berries, 
  the 
  manager 
  

   explains 
  the 
  situation. 
  

  

  "These 
  trees," 
  he 
  says, 
  "are 
  five 
  years 
  

   old 
  and 
  just 
  beginning 
  to 
  bear 
  profitably. 
  

   They 
  are 
  kept 
  two 
  years 
  in 
  our 
  nursery 
  

   and 
  then 
  transplanted 
  to 
  the 
  orchard, 
  

   where 
  it 
  requires 
  three 
  years 
  to 
  bring 
  

   them 
  to 
  maturity. 
  Thev 
  will 
  then 
  bear 
  

  

  © 
  Publishers' 
  Photo 
  Service 
  

   THE 
  SUNSHINE 
  OF 
  A 
  COSTA 
  RICAN 
  SMILE 
  

  

  for 
  five 
  or 
  six 
  years, 
  when 
  they 
  cease 
  to 
  

   be 
  profitable 
  and 
  are 
  cut 
  down. 
  

  

  "We 
  are 
  planting 
  new 
  trees 
  every 
  year 
  

   in 
  the 
  place 
  of 
  old 
  ones, 
  and 
  thus 
  keep 
  

   our 
  plantation 
  at 
  the 
  highest 
  point 
  of 
  

   bearing 
  efficiency 
  all 
  the 
  time 
  (see 
  p. 
  208). 
  

  

  "These 
  bananas 
  you 
  see 
  planted 
  among 
  

   the 
  trees 
  are 
  for 
  shade, 
  which 
  the 
  coffee- 
  

   tree 
  requires 
  constantly, 
  especially 
  when 
  

   young" 
  (see 
  page 
  203). 
  

  

  The 
  coffee 
  is 
  being 
  picked 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  

   of 
  our 
  visit. 
  The 
  work 
  is 
  mostly 
  done 
  

   by 
  women, 
  with 
  a 
  few 
  men 
  and 
  children 
  

   scattered 
  among 
  them. 
  A 
  peon 
  can 
  put 
  

   his 
  whole 
  family 
  to 
  work 
  during 
  coffee- 
  

   picking 
  time 
  and 
  have 
  them 
  earn 
  enough 
  

   to 
  support 
  him 
  in 
  idleness 
  for 
  the 
  rest 
  of 
  

   the 
  vear. 
  The 
  work 
  is 
  slow 
  and 
  tedious, 
  

  

  