The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-01-16
COUNTRY LIFE IN COLOMBIA.
ORCHID FARMTNG--TRE MOST
WONDERFUL

Especial Correspondence Of the Journal
and C0urier.)

ana Courier.)
Bogota. Colombia, Dec Is, 1902
In order to give you an idea of rural
life in Colombia, permit me to tell you
of visit we have been making to the
most famous salt mines in the world.
which lie on the opposite edge of the
great plain Of Bogota. just beyond the
Village of Zipaquira.
Imagine jolly party on horseback.
led by our genial American minister,
and followed by two mozos Omen SER
vants), driving a donkey laden with
hampers and luncheon, cantering gaiiy
out of Colombia's capital on 4 bright
December morning. In these regions of
perpetual summer one finds it hard to
realize that there is dismal winter any
where; and the tales that come to us
concerning a coal-fanane and conSe-
quent suffering in the United States
seem to us less real than the myths of
antiquity that cluster around this his
toric plain. At this great elevation
(nearly nine thousand fee), though al
most on the equatorial line, the air is
never hot nor cold, but warm and pure,
and so invigorating that simply to be
on top of this good green earth is joy
enough. Our road wound most of the
way along the base of the hills that en-
viron Bogota, rising one above another
to Andean heights of eternal snow, I'M
visited by any living creature except at
rare intervals a solitary condor. We
passed long stretches of reedy sWamps.
completely blackened by myriads of
wild duck and other water fowl, show
ing here and there along the edges tall
white cranes, or blue herons, or pink
breasted fiamingoes, standing medita-
lively on one leg as If posed for scenic
effect Either the Columbians are not
s mighty hunters" and so have never
taught their beasts and birds the fear
of man, or else the southern sun has
imbued the latter with the same con-
stitutional laziness and Indifference to
danger that characterizes the people;
certain it is that one need not waste
shot on most of the so-called wild game
here, but may deliberately walk up and
knock it over with a club-if one can
find it in his heart to be so cruel. or
course the instinct of the sportsman
was aroused at the sight Of so much
easy prey and every male Anglo Sax
ons hand sought his pistol pocket. But
why mar the perfect day with the muir
der of harmless creatures not needed
for food? The pleadings of the ladies
prevailed and it is pleasant to remem-
Der that the birds We're left unharmed
to enjoy their little day in the sunshine.
Beyond the marshes lie a region of
quintas (small farms), which are chief
~ devoted to the raising of orchids for
the European trade. What an easy
and pleasant employment, and how
profitable, remembering the fancy
prices that are paid for the rarer varie-
ties! We stopped at one of the orchid
ranches, whose English proprietor
younger son." who came here practi-
cafiy pEn1iless-is recouping the family
fortunes in England and enabling the
titled brother to keep up an estate
which his ancestors laoded with mort
cages. His methods seem very simple,
but with true British uncommunica-
tiveness he did not tell us much about
them. He showed US his nursery.
where were several thousand small
wooden boxes, in each of which is
nailed a stick, the latter wrapped with
sphagnum moss, among which an Or
chid-plant was tied. The lovely para
sites grow wild all over Couombia, in
infinite variety of form and coloring.
The growers send natives out into the
woods and hills to collect them, paying
one cent to thirty cents for each plant,
and selling the same in Europe at
prices ranging between fifty and five
hundred dollars per plant-sometimes
even thousands of pounds sterling for a
particularly scarce and long-sought
species. Like opa1s, these curious
freaks of the floral kingdom seem to
have no set price, but are valued ac-
cording to the passing craze of wealthy
collectors. There are other quintas in
the vicinity of Bogota, where fruits and
vegetables are raised for the markets
of the capital; and small farms, green
with wheat, corn, alfalfa and clover.
Nothing tells more truly of the even
temperature of the locality than the
various stages of the corn-felds, prov
ing that seed time and harvest are en-
tirely in the hands of the cultivator.
One field is being plowed and planted;
another by it's side has fine crop Of
Iuil-STOWu cOiIi, pIl STAINS IlS Iel Ii4dll
the head Of a man on horseback; while,
perhaps the next field shows the green
blades Just shooting out of the ground.
It is the same way with wheat. Here
are newly sprouted fields, like emerald
velvet; close by are others in full head.
Some are being cut, by women, with
short sickles. In many places the
primitive threshing floor is in operation.
THE latter is odd enough to deserve
paragraph, especially as it is an estab
Iished institution throughout all Of
South America.
A level space is selected for the
threshing, a circular wall of adobe is
built around it and the floor is covered
with stones. The wheat is then thrown
in and a span of horses driven around
and around the enclosure, until their
trampling has shelled out the kernels.
Sometimes a flock of sheep are turned
in and driven rapidly to and fro, until
the same purpose is accomplished.
Then women come In and separate the
wheat from the chaff Sitting the wheat
Into little piles-afterwards putting it
into bags.
We had planned to stop for breakfast
at the posada (wayside inn), of San
j 1. olro 1T,I