Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1925-03-04

tureSque mountains. It In the nucleus
of the coffee district, holds a strategic
position with regard to the Aguacate
mountains, chief source of mineral
wealth, and Is favorably situated for
shipping to all points in the interior.
Most Of the developed land is east and
west of 1t, the territory north and south
being much less utilized
Good Harbors Are Few.
Although the coast Is lacking In
good harbors, that at Port Limon, on
the Atlantic side, has been converted
into a satisfactory port of entry.
The Pacific port Of entry, Punta-
renas, is still lacking In wharfage IA
cilities, but Is well protected by its
situation on the broad Gulf of Nicoya,
one of three great indentations which
make the republic conspicuous on any
map
Below the Gulf of Nicoya, which runs
up 80 miles to the broad plain of Guiana
caste, where stock grazing is the prin-
cipal industry, is the Golfo Dulce, a
large inlet into a region which Is still
undeveloped.
There are no lakes Of any size within
the republic. Navigable rivers are nom
existent, save for some tidal streams
along the coast that play an important
part In the transport of bananas to the
point of shipment. The streams of the
country are mere mountain torrents,
In some places deep enough for canoe
travel, but more valuable as sources
Of power.
Costa Rica's banana industry has
been created by an American fruit COM
pany, which has a monopoly. The
rankly fertile soil of the coast has been
cleared of natural growth and planta-
lions extended year by year, principally
to the north of Port Limon, while light
railways bring the crop to tidewater,
where it is loaded on barges and taken
to Port Limon for transshipment in the
company's own steamers.
The republic sends to the United
States more bananas than any other
country-from 100000 to 100000
punches year-and they are Of high
quality. AS the industry represents a
foreign investment and operation, 1t
is not of such vital interest to the peo-
pie 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 Rlca,
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 f1nan-
cial stringency.
Beautiful Coffee Country.
Surely, not even Japan In cherry
blossom time can be more beautiful
than the coffee country, occupying val
legs at an elevation Of from 5000 to
5000 feet, when the snow Of the bios
SONS hangs like a mantle over the
land, and their perfume subdues the
strong scents Of the forests. Planta-
lions are mostly small, peasant propri-
etorship being the rule, and each has
Its one-room house with tile or cor
rugated iron roof covering a hetero-
geneous assortment Of men, women
and children, monkeys, parrots and
dogs. But the industry can be better
studied on a larger fnca say Of so
| acres.
visitor inspecting such a planta-
ton during the picking season would
find himself walking between rows of
! bushes, six feet high and colored with
the deep but vivid red of rope berries.
Such trees are five years old and just
beginning to bear proftably. They
are kept two years In nursery and
then transplanted to the orchard, where
1t requires three years to bring them
to maturity. They will then bear for
Ave or six years, when they cease to
be profitable and are cut down. New
trees are planted every year in the
place of old ones, and thus the planta-
ton is kept at the highest point of
hearing efficiency. Bananas are planted
among the trees for shade. which the
coffee tree requires constantly, espe-
cially when young.