The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-02-08
THE AGAVE PLANT.
"A Source of Sustenance to the
People Of Mexico.
From 1t Is Made Kind OF Liquor aud
Palatable Dish-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 un-
doubtedly the agave, or, as 1t is some
times called, maguey plant Three hum
dred and sixty-fve days Of never-ending !
sunshine are great attraction to tour
lists and invalids, 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 1t Is
generally called In Mexico, Is what
is commonly known as the century
plant in this country. The differ
ence is that 1t Is the real century plant,
while ours is not, In appearance 1t Is
much the same as the caucus that
adorns many Of our northern gardens
and piazzas in the summer, only 1t Is
larger and coarser. The leaves fre-
quently grow to length of ten or
twelve feet, or even more, and bear
very sharp thorns.
II takes the maguey about seven
years to blossom. When 1t does bloom
a 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 a
deep purple. Just as it is about to
flower tho 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
foot in diameter, is followed out. In
this bowl. as IL 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 IL through a
pipe with the mouth and then blow 1t
into handy receptacle.
After it is taken from the plant the
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 1t could be ex-
ported, but as yet none have succeeded.
Pulque is shipped from the planta-
tions in barrels and pigslSins, and some
idea OF the amount Of it that is drunk
can be formed from the fact that forty
oar loads Of II are taken TO the City Of
Mexi.o alone every morning. All but
very little Of this Is consumed the day
it 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
lulque is sold, generally supply that
drink alone They are very small,
firty and al smelling. In which they re-
temble the crowd that hangs around
them The liquor-if It can be called
such-is brought around in barrels, on
carts drawn by solitary and forlorn
hooking donkeys, as soon rs the pulque
train arrives, and is sold by the greasy
piFsldn.
It's taste Is similar TO mixture OF cod
liver oil and buttermilk that has gone
wrong. II is the color OF skim milk
and ''strings" like molasses, but Ia not
so thick. But when one becomes used
TO It, Us he does after six or seven
drinks, II is not half so bad.
Pulque has very gentle but effectual
medicinal properties, and physicians
have claimed that II will cure Brights
disease II taken in time. At the can
tinas" 1t is sold in glasses Of three
sizes, the largest about the same as q
big schooner" and costs one, two ant
three cents glass.
Excessive pulque drinking has stu
pefying effect, and the idea that 1t Il
wildly Intoxicating Is all wrong. In IL
distilled form II is called tequila or mes
cal and is very fery. This liquor Is sim
liar in appearance TO gin and is violent
ly intoxicating. It has been at the bot
tom Of many a so-called "Greaser up
rising"
The plantations on which maguey I
raised for pulque making are oftei
many- acres in extent, and the plant
are set in rows, like ccrn. After plan
has been tapped" 1t dies aud Is pulle'
up, q young plant being put in II
place. The maguey grows best In pc
culiar, sandy soil. and there are severa
distinct 'pulque regions"
The leaf Of the maguey Is not onl
edible, but makes o very Gne dish whel
properly treated. Tho native Mexican
dig pits and, taking the tenderes
hea1es, bake them In holes over smo
hering fire, as charcoal Is roasted. Whe
they are "just right" they are taken on
the tough outer covering, which hs
hardened into shell. Ia peeled of, IN
the pith is very tender and tastes goo
deal like roast corn
The last use this cactus is put 10
the most remarkable one In clima'
such as Mexico, as Ice never forms Of
beif except on the uninhabitable tops
the highest mountains. Mexico City
supplied by Ice factories, but, OF cours
in rural districts Ice cannot DO obtains
that way.