The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1901-07-31
THE AMERICAN ALOE.
Many Uses of the Century Plant Of
Southwestern Deserts.
G.upplies Mexicans with Food, Drink,
Clothing, Medicine, Soap, Need
les, Etc.-some of Its Pc
cuIfarities.

western states and territories, IS not
the delicate thing SO carefully tend
ed in the northern conservatory, but
a growth of splendid proportions and
one of the most useful in the yege-
table kingdom. In its native state it
natures in eight or ten years, but
blooming is delayed indefinitely.
This gives rise to the belief that it
takes it 100 years to reach perfec-
tion.
1t is also called the American aloe,
Agave Americana, maguey and mez-
cal plant. 1t was incorrectly classed
by some of the early botanists with
agave from Greek word meaning
something grand and admirable. 1t
Is the Oldest known of about 100 spe-
cies of the genus agaye, all natives
of our continent, says the Detroit
Free Press.
Maguey is the name most applied
TO it in South America. and in Mex
large tracts of land are devoted TO
its propagation. Being desert
plant it requires little care and the
soil could hardly be put to more
profitable use. 1t supplies the peo-
pie food, drink, clothing, shelter.
medicine, soap, needles, thread and
many other things. Its thick, pulpy,
spine-tipped leaves grow to the
length of five or six feet, and without
a stem. They are cut in slices and
fed to the cattle or roasted by the
Mexicans for their own eating.
From the fibers the Aztecs made a
paper on which they did their famous
picture writing, while from the same
source we get pita fax, ropes and
hammocks. Its roots furnish a soap
called amole; from the center of the
flower stalk is obtained a substitute
for the hone or razor strop; its
spongy portion is used in place OF
cork and the dried flower stems
make a rain-proof thatching. Ger
tain people believe the juice to be an
antidote for rattlesnalS, poison. The
spines are used as needles, while it
is said the Aztecs introduced their
cruel points into the skin as mode
of punishment.
Year after year the plant stores
away it's juices for the support of its
flowers. When II is ready for the
final effort OF its life there rises from
the center OF the great cluster of
leaves long shaft which divides and
subdivides, near the top, into numer-
GUS flower branches until it resem-
bies huge candelabrum. The rapid
ity with which this plant grows is
hardly credible. IL increases several
inches in a day; and when it reaches
. height of about 40 feet and bears
1000 perfectly-formed blossoms OF
creamy white, it is truly one of ma
ture's marvels-
At whatever period this occurs il
Is not repeated. After the petals fall
and the great seed pods drop their
contents on the sand the long leaves
droop and The plant withers to the
ground. The roots may live to send
up new sprouts, brtshe old plant has
had its day. S
The Agava Ame~;oana is perhaps
best known 10 the outside world by
the liquors that are made from its
juices. When the first signs OF the
flower stalk appear. the delicate
shoot is plucked and its base scooped
out, leaving a hollow place in which
the sweet sap collects. A large plant
will yield several quarts day, or
upward Of 200 gallons during a sea-
son. The juice is diluted with wa
ter. then allowed to ferment for sew
eral days. when It somewhat resem-
blcs buttermiIlx in color and flavor.
This Is pnlque, the national beverage
of the Mexicans, and from II is dis
titled the famous mezcal.
large numbers OF the century
plant are cut yearly from the hill
sides of southern Arizona. to be con-
verted into this drink in the Mex
lean distilleries just across the bor-
der. In spite of the line riders. it is
smuggled back into our country and
sold.
Unlike pulque, mezcal Is a clear,
white. fiery liquor, and in this state
it is not scorned by the white men,
II has been well described az "a ter
rife whisky which drives those who
drink IL to sheer madness"
India rs n Coal Market.
India i rapidly becoming an m
porfant factor in the coal market.
The output last year was nearly 20
Der cent. in excess Of that Of the year
before. and a still further increase win