Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-06-26

of Apam. The Tlachiquero-whose office
is practically chief Of both factory and
,,Iantation-took us in charge and rather
con,;cal caravan we formed sallying forth
in pursuit of information. Leading the
van rode the Tlachiquero, his white dress
contrasting well with his bronze skin,
gearing an immense sombrero and leather
anron. while the various implements of his
nrofession daneled all around him. Betsy
and | followed on donkeys so little that
our feet nearly touched the ground, our
beauty enhanced by blue goggles, which.
experience long ago taught us the value oil
in this sunny country. Several poems
brought up the rear, each driving donkey
laden with pig-skins," into which the
aqua mea (crude juice has TO be poured.
The Tlachiquero says he goes periodically
AMONG HIS VEGETABLE COWS,
Marking those that have reached the period
of effloresence. and are therefore ready for
milking, by cutting a cross upon the top
most leaf. Three times day for three
months each effiorescent plant must be
- MIXED at a. NJ at noon and again
at evening. We went from plant to plant,
watching the process OF inserting the
gourd with the cows horn stuck IN the
point of it, and the sucking of the syphon
till all the cows were exhausted; and then
repaired to the fadcai, or clubhouse. The
latter is long adobe shed, with an earth
floor kept clean as the deck of man-ot-
war. We entered in solemn procession,
each peon removing his sombrero as we
passed the threshold and murmurlng de-
voutly, "Aiabo q Dios-"I praise God.
One side of the building is occupied by a
line of vats, called tiRaS, which are merely
oxides, the hairy side upwards. In each
tina was a thick curd of mother" pulque,
which performed the office of leaven, and
whose 'iancient and fishy smelP' out
smelled far-famed Cologne. When the
pig-skins had been carefully opened and
the aqua Daiei was ready for pouring out, the
Tlachiquero seized long stake, which IS
kept ready for the purpose, and
MADE SIGN OF THE CROSS
In the rotten curd, exclaiming with fervor,
" Are Marie PriSSimd," to which the poems
reverently responded: "Alabad sea dos y
la santissimo TfinidadW owe praise God
and the sacred Trinity'') What would
happen to the pulque if this pious perform
ance were neglected | am unable to state,
for never within the memory of the Oldest
inhabitant has it been omitted or curtailed.
After about three hours of fermentation in
the watts, the liquor is drawn off into
barrels, and is then ready for the pulque
shops and the flower-decked booths which
adorn all the highways and byways of
Mexico. Very little pulque is sold at
wholesale, as all the Mexican estates
which make business of cultivating ma
guey maintain shops of their own in
town, where the liquid product is retailed
of the city of Mexico, who rides in mis- car
ria Ua op6 &c racL-onad a,nOner tho
of the land. has five pulque-shops, from
which he derives a revenue of about S25, 000
per annum. On thousand acres of land
(which is considered small farm in this
country a million plants of all ages may
be fiourishing, of which say 100000 will be
from five to six years old, and the remain
der will be yielding pulque. Only four
thousand plants, for example, will pro-
duce daily average of $500 gallons-worth
on the spot from seven to nine cents per
gallon-a neat little income. The Indians
are exceedingly fond of pulque, and beyond
doubt it is one of the
MOST HEALTHY BEVERAGES
In the world. 1t is not heavy in its effects,
but only serves 10 intensity the. natural
politeness of the nation. 1t is amusing to
watch how unctious they grow while
handing from mouth to mouth the big jar
"a sort of loving cup" from which
they delight to drink in turn, taking off
their ragged hats and bowling low to each
other, or kissing the hands-of their wives
and sweethearts as though they were
princesses of royal blood. In this queer
country they mix religion with their
drinks in a manner which elsewhere
would be deemed extremely sacrilegious.
Each pulqueria has picture of the Blessed
Virgin, or the patron saint of the proprietor
hung over the door, and a little shrine
with cruclfix and burning candles
set up somewhere among the bottles. The
names of these shops are frequently more
pious than appropriate. l have seen
scores of them dedicated to Jesus, to the
Virgin, and to all the saints and saintesses
in the calendar One is called 1.-The Pull
guerra of the Blood of Christ" another
The Saloon of the Mother of God and
another, around the corner in Corpu:
Christi street, is dedicated to the Holy
Ghost FANNIE b. WARD.