The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1886-09-03
Banana Farms In Costa Rica.

The cultivation OF bananas in Costa
R began ahou- SIX years ago on The
s.T.. "a rn~ all he land along the
Lac ~, ialtruads, one mile wide, is taken
up by the banana farms, a majority Of
which are owned by citizens of the Uni
ted States. Each farm is one mile
square, the land having been purchased
for SO q manzana-8boHt one acre and
a half of our land measurement. There
are now about $50 square miles under
profitable cultivation.
1t is OILY necessary to cultivate the
banana in Costa Rica, to cut down the
forest, and then the land is ready to re-
ceive the seed. The plow and the harrow
are unknown. The trees are allowed to
lay where they fall. What is called the
banana sucker, a bulb resembling an
onion, is planted about eighteen inches
deep, and from fifteen to eighteen feet
apart, in among the fallen trees.
At the expiration of nine months the
banana plant has reached height of if
teen feet, and bears one bunch of fruit.
Fifteen or twenty of these plants or trees
in various stages of development are to
be seen at once sprouting from the same
sucker" +" bearing fruit successively the
year around from seven to ten years
from the first planting. Along the river
banks, where the soil is renewed. they
bear twenty years from the time of first
| planting.
When the bananas are ready TO cut. a
farmer who cultivates a mile square OF
land, will take about forty men, five of
| whom Are regular cutters, and the others
| convey the punches out in mule OF OK
| carts as fast as they are cut In day
| and half the crop is harvested. The
laborers ara all jamaica negroes and ma
tIves, who receive 81 25 per day for their
work. The laborers are almost all Eng
lish subjects, and, like the negro of the
| southern states, they always have com.
plants to make. They call themselves
English Objects" and if they imagine
themselves imposed upon they threaten
to Ego an tell Mrs Queen, an she SEN
her gunbost' alluding to Queen Victo-
ria, whom they look upon as the most
powerful person in the world. When a
ship flying the English flag comes into
the harbor, they say, dat Mrs. Queen .
! snip she go an tell somefn' to English
councilman dat's whar Mrs. Queen
sends dem fur" They work hard ALI
day, drink rum and dance nearly all
night. and are ready for work early in
the morning as bright and apparently as
well rested as if they had slept all night.
After the bananas are loaded on the
! train they are taken to Port Limon.
/ placed on a vessel and brought TO New
York. The steamer Foxhall, named
after the American horse, but flying the
English flag, and owned by Mr. Keith
of Brooklyn, carries II, 900 punches OF
the fruit to New Orleans every fortnight.
So. all along the line of the road the
succulent banana is making the fortune
OF those who had the courag. to tempt
the climate.
! The snakes make a stranger feel rath-
er uncomfortable. They have a variety
OF them, and when the traveller reflects
/ that the bite of almost every species is
fatal, he is quite likely TO keep a wary
1 eye on his surroundings, Quite a mum.
Der Of New York people expect to go tc
! Costa Rica during the coming faII.-N
| 7. Star