Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1886-07-17
A VEGETABLE cow.
The Wonderful Yield OF Milk from a
Plant In Mexico.

State Of Ohio, or the Orange county dairy
region is to New York city, the plains Apam
and Otumba are to Mexico's capital-with
this difference, that instead of cows, the
4ea1v Amerieana (here known as magn:y),
is MIXED and pulque is the product. Some
idea Of the magnitude of this singular in
dustry may be derived from the fact that two
special pulque trains run daily into the City
Of Mexico, with the same regularity that the
milk trains come into our metropolitan
cities, yielding the railroad an average in
come Of 81, 900 per diem for freightage. The
Government derives an equ al revenue from
the duty alone on pulque brought from
these celebrated "Llanos (plains) de Apam"
for it is estimated that more than 600, 600
nints Of it are consumed every day IN the
capital city. Maguey, more commonly known
at the North as the century plants as
much feature of this country as trees are
of the United States. All over the land it
flourishes. cultivated with care in many
places, but springing up as weed in water
less deserts, and growing at its best on the
stony sides of the mountains. Every Next
can hacienda raises more or less of it.
The mighty plants serve to mark the bound.
aries Of lots and lands, two rows of them
with their gigantic leaves and bayonet-like
thorns, forming an impenetrable fence. Not
only are the Indigenous thus pro6tably
utilized, but even sterile lands which rattle
snakes disdain to inhabt will grow maguey,
whose abundance of juice is the most aston
ishing since none can tell whence the NAM
moth plant derives any moisture. have
frequently seen an enormous century tree
growing out ola bed of rock scarcely covered
by a semblance Of vegetable earth, Haunting
from fifteen to twenty five high. Neither
heat nor cold, drought nor deluge affects
it; but like the unfailing fountain in the
desert, it furnishes the poorest Indian with
the beverage most pleasing to his taste, with
out money and without price. The tradition
that the century plant blooms but once in
hundred years is quite true, and any number
Of centuries might with equal propriety be
added to the stateme nt-for when its natural
development has taken place its destiny is
fulfilled, and it dies without loss of time.
1t is net often, however, that one sees the
on1Neao1 co. ha
moment that the experienced cultivator OBJ
serves his plant preparing to bloom he cuts
a deep cavity in its heart and covers it over
with the side leaves, after which all the juice
which nature intended for the stalk and its
flowers runs into the basin thus formed.
During the growth Of the maguey 1t throws
out shoots, which are removed from the
parent stem in their second year, when about
three feet high. A shoot ready for planting
which costs real (I21l cents), will readily
sell for from $40 to SIS when ready to bloom.
The average age Of plant when it first be-
gins TO show signs of poisoning, and is then
capable Of producing pulque, is fifteen years.
Certain appearances, known only to the ini-
tiated, indicate when the central stem, or
hampe, which sustains the flower, is about to
form in the heart of the plant. If the owner
is not watching to cut it out at the proper
time, the hampe shoots upward with the
rapidly Of Jacks historic teanstalk, absorb
ing all the sap which would otherwise make
pulque. The sprouting of the stalk gener-
ally takes place in November or December,
but the magnificent cluster of flowers does
not form on its top till two months later.
The monster leaf that envelops the hampe
gradually unfolds a slender stalk to the
height of telegraph pole (Which it greatly
resembles), and its browning flowers are far
beyond the reach of man on horseback.
The juice of the maguey in its infer
nented state is called aqua mirl, or "honey
water" and is not unlike the fresh.drawn
sap of sugar naples. By the addition
of little old pulque, fermentation takes
place in two OF three hours, and when sup
posed to be fit for drinking, it is thick, white
and ropy like buttermiik, which it somewhat
resembles in taste An average plant yields
about eight quarts of juice per diem, for a
period Of no less than three months, after
which the plant dies, and it is at once re-
,%lacad hv a new one which the DrOvid q nj