Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1869-07-29
The Century Plant.

With little less interest than that with
which astronomers regard the coming
eclipse of the Sun, do the florists Of tho
country look forward to the blossoming of
the Century plant at Rochester, New York,
for TO the North American eye the latter
phen omenon is even more rare than the for
MGR. The century plant in its native soil
and climate of tho tropics natures and pro.
duces blossoms in from ten to twenty years,
hut in northern hothouses it takes more
than IN ordinary human lifetime to bring
it to its blossoming state. Hence it is only
rs MI exotic in which its period of bloom
designate it. We believe that in only one
or two instances has the plant ever bios
somed in our latitude, owing to the great
expense and time required to develop its
wonderful floral fruition.
A Rochester correspondent communicates
to tho Buffalo Express m interesting ac-
count of the famous century plnnt, that is
Just now attracting SO much attention; and
also some emarks upon the natural histo-
ry Of the species to which it belongs:
THE AaAvE AMERICANA. = ~ :,
Before proceeding farther it may not be
a,niss to say word about the species, of
which all have heard so much and known
so little. 1t is native of tho table lands
of tropical America, being found both north
md south of the dividing isthmus
Like oil endogens the aloe forms it's
growth from the inside instead of by con-
centric layers on the outside like oxegens
Tho entire plant when not in bloom con-
sists of a Dubious root and long, narrow:
fleshy leaves, each one terminating in a
sharp spine These leaves are radical and
sessile, that is they grow directly from the
root with no peduncle or stem. These
leaves are produced one at time. A sin
gle leaf shoots from the centre of tho green
mass falling slowly over to horizontal
position Us it becomes developed. When it
has completed its entire growth and taken
its place in the green tutt which is all that
is visible Of the plant, another begins to
grow. AS soon as Ia leaf begins
to make its appearance tho outer extremi-
spread themselves slowly apart making
space for their now companion, which in
due course of time it exactly fills, thus pre-
serving tho perfect symmetry, Of tho plant.
Year by year this process continues. tho
plant all the time storing up the strength
for it's eliminating and final effort of flow
cring. As Mr.. Frost remarks down some-
where in the base of every ayave we can
imagine the germ Of the future fower-stem
which is waiting for accumulated strength
to shoot up into majestic growth.
Whom the time has arrived for it to
blooln-which is from ten to twenty years
in its native regions, but under our colder
sky ia three-quarters of century, stem
appears directly in tho center of tho mass
Of foliage. 1t bears an exact resemblance
to the stem Of an asparagus This event.
ually attains a height Of from fifteen to
thirty feet. But whom ithas reached about
half its full growth, a mass of buds is
formed at the point, looking something
like rather loose head of cauliHower.
When tho mass of buds is fully formed it
bends down to horizontal position, and
tho central stalk proceeds to grow upward,
stopping ut every fow inches to de-
venp paniclo OF buds and send
them out horizontally in tho same
symmotricnl manner that is observed in tho
growth of tho leaves Each lateral pcdunclc
continues to increase i'll length until the
panicle OF flowers ut its extremity is fully
opcn. Tho clusters contain from fifty to
two hundred flowers. Of course tho lower
arms being first formed attain the greatest
length. When it has reachcd its extromo
height, and flowers are fully open, 1t resem-
blcs M immense floral candelabrum.
From three thousand to six thousand flow
ers nro borne ut once. It remains in
bloom two or thrco months. In tho mean
time tho fleshy leaves are entirely absorbed
to sustain this growth. Tho flowers are
in form like lilies, about five inches in
length. Their color is of a grcenish sui
phur hue. While in full bloom sweet
juico cxudes in abundance from tho flow
ers. When gathered and bottled it under
goes the regular process Of vinous and
hectic fermentation, being first rather
agreeable cordial, and nfterward rank
smelling vinegar When the blossoms
withcr and fall, tho central stem gradually
dries up becoming similar i'll texture to
bamboo and portions of it arc used rs
razor homes.
The plant has now completed tho cycle
Of its being, and nothing romans but the
bn)bous root, from which n now growth of
leaves aro produced in due course of time.
TO the inhabitants of tropical America
tho Ayare is M extremely useful plant. 1t
is set in hedges, which arc permanent and