New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-10-20
COSTA RIGA.
NV . FORMER BRITISH CONSUL


~, IN he rich s,il and moist atmosphere Of Cos
a. Rcs. But, though the soil assimated itssfto
III tree. and made il push vigorous shoots ana
hesr plfLty of fruit, the minds of the people were
backward, and they neglected the new culture
which was soon forgotten. The beneficial inten-
t;,rs of Don Francisco were revived quarter OF
century later by the Padre Velarde, who intro
duced Id. cofee-plapt from Carriage into San Jose.
Tie worthy Padre formed his first plantation in
lie courtyard Of his house, by planting there
few trees. lthey are still in existence and 6ne large
trees they are now, eIdeavOriDg to persuade his
f,ieIds to follow bic example. But they merely
tpswered their habitual "como nor" (why
rot ~ until finding that their stupid indifference
was ypccnquersble, he insisted upon their allow
ipe Lin to become their gardener. Withs shrug
of the shoulders, end nod of their wise heads,
at what tley called Lis simplicity they consented,
little fortseeDg that to this simplicity their chill
dren would be indebted for their wealth, and their
country for It's importance. This occurred about
the year ltI9, but IL was only toward 1888 that
the first coffee was exported from Costa Rica by
a foreign merchant established at San jose whose
Quick eye detected the " svenir" Of wealth, over
which the natives were slunbering, and whose
ready purse gave them the necessary ,timulsnt 10
e6erti0n. Subsequently to this frat export, the
coffee plantations rapidly increased and it s the
opinion Of Tie merchants Gao official statistics ex.
ist in the archives of the Government for those
periods) that in 1896 the crop had risen TO the
very respectable amount Of 120, coo quintals IN
fortunately the years 1897 and 1843 were disas
trous. and the price Of coffee in the European and
more especially in the EDglish market where
nearly the whole Of the product of the cOuntVis
shipped fell to low rate, and frightened the
tu'id people of Costa RIGA so much, that like
children who despair of the future, they COM
menced to destroy their plantations. The coun.
try would have been irretrievably ruined, had not
II 4. 4 i. 49,
Vice. President Of the Republic, come forward to
save his country men from their own folly He
made large purchases Of coffee, to be deliy.
cred 10 bin out Of the following years CROP
ct prices which would induce bis people 10
preserve their plantations Nevertheless, many
plantations bad been destrOyed and the crop Of
le5C-(tLe fret year for which there is an official
return which can be relied UPON was no more
than IS, l2o quintals. In 1851 the crop increased
TO G. 776 quintsls and this year s52) it is above
$1,000. [ must here remark that the crop Of
1852 is the one which is shipped in the Spring
(April and May Of 1853; it is the crop of 1852
for the agricultural but to the merchant it is the
one Of 1853.
j had often been to pass few days at Mr.. ia
plantation in search of amusement and exercise;
but the visits which interested me most were
those made during the harvest. At this period,
the whole grounds are overrun by women and
children who pick the berries and lend q most
lively appearance to the otherwise quiet and sc.
eludtd spot. These people. require to be watched
left in their hurry they should injure the tree
They throw the berries In baskets which are
coupted at twelve to quintal each full basket
being paid for at the rate of one real Zone shilling
American currency) When they bring in the
baskets ticket is given for each one, and these
tickets being returned at the end Of the week. the
oyeTseer pays for them at the rate above men,
toned.
L.. x....& i. l.. - H.
where il is thrown into press formed by two re.
volving cylinders, which crush the berries as they
fall into large circular tank OF running water, in
which rake of the diameter of the tank, put In
motion by means of water-wheel brings to the
surface the lighter portions Of the berry; tho /
coffee beans sinking by their own weight to the .
bottom. The 0yerh0wing water of this first tank /
passes into second, and a third and fourth, in
each of which are gradually deposited the beans
that have been carried with the stream issuing
from the first tank. Every morning the water 10
drawn Of and the coffee taken up In its present .
state the heshy portion Of the berry has disap-
pesred and the COURAGEOUS white membrane which
snvelops the bean alone remains The coffee ia
now spread upon lime yards and exposed to the !.
drying influence OF the sun for ten or twelve 7
days; when perfectly dry ii is placed In the clean
ing machine, which breaks OF the remaining white
membrane. From this machine the coffee beans
fall into different reservoirs, according to their
hand the imperfect or discoored beans, is per.
formed by women.
The preparing of the coffee crop, which have
briefly sketcLed, takes place from the end Of De.
cember throughout the whole of the dry or sum
mer season. As the coffee lie ready ii is inclosed
In bags of 1875 lbs weight and sent to Punts Are
mas on carts drawn by oxen, the cartlOad being
from seven to eight bags But the preparation Of
the coffee for market requires good deal of time,
aud to varv sal1 hat nv la nit ~ rs
coffee leaves the upper valleys for the port of en-
bsrcation before the. beginning Of March, when
the freight Of mule load Give bsgs) is at q mo-
derate price Of 10 to ~ reals "a dollar and q
quarter to dollar and hslf) This however,
IL late In the season az the rains begin frequently
In April At this period the price of freight rises
and continues to increase as the rainy season ad-
vanees, reaching its highest point when the roads
are almost inaccessible. In May the freight varies
from the beginning Of the month to the end from
four TO i've dollars; and in june when the rude
carts OF the country are abandoned as means Of
transportation and mules are employed, the price
10 at ak dOllars, and sometimes higher What
also tends to enhance the price of freight toward
the end Of May Is the accumulation Of coffee in
the warehouses; this is caused BY the withdrawal
Of the carriers larrieros) who, being small far.
mers, retire to their provision lands to SOW their
maize and frjoles (beans) which form the princi
pal items Of their food.
1t will be seen by the foregoing details that the
expenses OF picking and preparing the coffee are
considerable; aud from various causes those ex. \
penses are actually doubled on all the coffee for
warded in the months of May and June. On the
other Land il must be observed that the value of I
coffee in the country has risen and il the cost of
producing il is more than double what il was TWEEN.
" years ago the price 1t fetches has increased in
The same proportion: the planters aud the people (
who labor in the coffee fields are no losers; the
bs tha HAT ~.