similar sweet
pulp.

As soon as the crimson color assumed by the ripe fruit indicates the
time for cropping, numbers of men, women, and children are sent to
gather the berry, which is piled in large heaps, to soften the pulp,
for forty-eight hours, and then placed in tanks, through which a
stream of water passes, when it is continually stirred, to free it
from the outer pulp; after which it is spread out on a platform, with
which every coffee estate is furnished, to dry in the sun; but there
still exists an inner husk, which, when perfectly dry, is, in the
smaller estates, removed by treading the berry under the feet of oxen;
and in the larger, by water-mills, which bruise the berry slightly to
break the husk, and afterwards separate it by fanners. The entire cost
of producing a quintal (101 1-5 lbs. British) of coffee, including the
keeping of the estate in order, cleaning and fanning the plants, and
gathering and preparing the berries, is, at the present rate of wages
(two rials, or about a shilling per day), calculated at two and a half
dollars (equal to ten shillings); but the laborers are now hardly
sufficient for working all the estates which are planted, so that the
price may probably rise a little, though the present rate of payment
enables the natives to live much better than has been their wont.

The coffee tree bears flowers only the second year, and its blossoms
last only 24 hours. The returns of the third year are very abundant;
at an average, each plant yielding a pound and a-half or two pounds of
coffee.

The price of coffee in San Jose during the months of February, March
and April, after which none can generally be met with, was, in 1846,
about 5 dollars cash per quintal, the duty (which is collected for the
repairs of the road) one rial more, so that the speculator makes at
least ten rials, or about 20 per cent., by purchasing and sending the
coffee to the port, on his outlay and charges; but it is often
bartered for manufactured goods, and is also purchased before-hand,
half being paid in imports and half in cash to the grower.

The largest coffee estates of Costa Rica are possessed by the family
of Montealegre and Don Juan Moira. The principal of these I have
examined. They appear to be very carefully and judiciously managed,
possessing good mills for cleaning and husking the coffee, worked by
water power; and annually producing 500 tons. The entire produce of
the year 1836, amounted to about 3,