The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1893-02-14
THE AGAVE PLANT.
A Source Of Sustenance to the
People Of Mexico.
From 1t IL Made . Kind Of Liquor sn'
PalatabIe Dnh-It Also Has
Some Medicinal Prop
critics.

That nature has given Mexico very
few blessings TO offset its dry, sandy
soil and almost rainless climate must be
conceded, but the greatest gift she has
bestowed on the poor natives who have
to get their living of the land is I'm.
doubtedly the agave, or, as 1t is some
times called, maguey plant Three hun
bred and sixty-five days of never-endine
sunshine are great attraction to tour.
lists and invaids, but to the farmer they
are fatal and Mexico is still suffering
from drought that has lasted nearly
four years, says the New York Herald.
The maguey, for by that name It ID
generally called In Mexico, is what
is commonly known as the century
plant In this country. The differ
ence is that it is the real century plant.
while ours is not In appearance 1t Ia
much the same as the caucus that
adorns many of our northern gardens
and piaxzas In the summer, only It IL
larger and cosrser. The leaves FIRE.
quently grow TO length Of ten OF
twelve feet, or even more, and bear
very sharp thorns.
1t takes the maguey about seven
years to blossom. When it does bloom
stalk from ten to twenty feet tall
shoots up from the center of the cluster
of leaves and puts forth large flowers,
which vary from bright red color to .
deep purple. just as IL Is about to
flower the plant has reached the proper
stage for the use it is most frequently
put to-the making of pulque (pro-
nounced pool-key).
To get the pulque the leaves and
stalk are cut off little above the
ground, and the trunk formed by the
Joining of the roots, which is often a
foot in diameter, is followed out In
this bowl, as 1t were, the sap which
was intended to nourish the flower ac-
cumulates and is drawn out every day.
Dipping is the commonest way of get
ting the sap out of the hollow, though
suction pumps are sometimes used ON
the big plantations now, and the prim-
tive way was to draw it through q
pipe with the mouth and then blow 1t
into a handy receptacle.
After it is taken from the plant tcs
sap must stand twenty-four hours to
ferment, and twenty-four hours after
the fermentation 1t spoils. Both French
and American companies have tried
time and again to find some way of
preserving pulque so It could be ex-
ported, but as yet none have succeeded.
Pulque is shipped from the planta-
tions in barrels and pigshns, and some
idea of the amount of It that is drunk
can be formed from the fact that forty
car loads of 1t are taken to the City of
Mexico alone every morning. All but
very little of this is consumed the day
II is received, and what Is left over
spoils, and Is either thrown away or
sold for half price as sour pulque."
The ''cantisnas," or barrooms, where
pulque is sold. generally supply that
drink alone. They are very small.
dirty and i'll smelling, in which they re-
semble the crowd that hangs around
them. The hquor-if IL can be called
such---is brought around In barrels, ON
carts drawn by solitary and forlorn
looking donkeys. as soon as the pulque
train arrives, and is sold by the greasy
pigskin.
It's taste Is similar to mixture Of cod
liver oil and buttermilk that has gone
wrong. 1t is the color of skim milk
and ''strings" like molasses, but is not
so thick. But when one becomes used
TO It, as he does after six or seven
drinks, it 10 not half so bad.
Palque has very gentle but effectual
medicinal properties, and physicians
have claimed that 1t will cure Bright's
disease If taken In time. At the lean
tinas" 1t is sold In glasses of three
sizes, the largest about the same as =
big schooner" and costs one, two and
three cents glass.
Excessive pulque drinking has stu
pefying effect, and the idea that 1t il
wildly Intoxicating Is all wrong. In its
distilled form 1t is called tequila or mes
cal and is very fiery. This liquor is sim
liar In appearance to gin and is violent
" Intoxicating. It has been at the bot
tom OF many so-called ''Greaser up
rising"
The plantations on which maguey IL
raised for pulque making are often
many 6cfcS III cxbo4ts anu tuo piauNA
are set In rows, like corn. After plant
has been tapped" 1t dies and is pulled
up, . young plant being put In its
place. The maguey grows best In pc
culiar, sandy soil, and there are several
distinct ''pulque regions"
The leaf Of the maguey Is not only
edible, but makes very fine dish when
properly treated. The native Mexicans
dig pits and, taking the tenderest
leaves, bake them in holes over smol-
dering fire, as charcoal is roasted. When
they are .'just right they are taken out,
the tough outer covering, which has
hardened into shell, is peeled of, and
the pith is very tender and tastes good
deal like roast corn.
The last use this cactus Is put TO In
the most remarkable one in q climate
such as Mexico, as ice never forms of it
self except on the uninhabitable tops of
the highest mountains. Mexico City Is
supplied by ice factories. but, OF course,
in rural districts ice cannot be obtained
that way.