CULTIVATION OF COFFEE. 



373 



and his son mounted his horse and accompanied us. It 

 was a beautiful walk, but in that country gentlemen 

 never walk. 



The cultivation of coffee on the plains of San Jose 

 has increased rapidly within a few years. Seven years 

 before the whole crop was not more than five hundred 

 quintals, and this year it was supposed that it would 

 amount to more than ninety thousand. Don Mariano 

 was one of the largest planters, and had three cafetals 

 in that neighbourhood ; that which we visited contained 

 twenty-seven thousand trees, and he was preparing to 

 make great additions the next year. He had expended 

 a large sum of money in buildings and machinery ; 

 and though his countrymen said he would ruin himself, 

 every year he planted more trees. His wife. La Seno- 

 ra, was busily engaged in superintending the details of 

 husking and drying the grains. In San Jose, by-the- 

 way, all the ladies were what might be called good 

 business-men, kept stores, bought and sold goods, look- 

 ed out for bargains, and were particularly knowing in 

 the article of coffee. 



32 



