American Aloe

The agave American a (Linn.) is a plant unconnected with the preceding, and belonging to the nat. ord. Bromeliaceæ. It is found in all parts of tropical America, and is largely cultivated on the shores of the Mediterranean; and le frequently, as an exotic plant in this country. It grows to the height of about 20 feet, and takes many years to produce its gigantic and magnificent pyramid of flowers; shortly after which it perishes, exhausted, as it were, by its efforts in bestowing its rare beauty on the floral world. The vulgar belief is that it blo oms only once in a century; but, as stated by the late Mr Loudon, it flowers sooner or later according to the culture bestowed on it. Its sap yields a kind of honey ( AGAVE HONEY ), and by fermentation an intoxicating liquor ( PULQUE ); desiccated juice, mixed with wood ashes, is used as soap, and lathers either with sea or fresh water; leaf-fibre, used as hemp to make thread and twine.