124 
in diameter, the old leaves hanging, perpendicularly and forming a 
peculiar thatch around the trunk and extending to the ground. 
The century-plant is in Chihualuia represented by a variety 
with shorter and broader leaves than that commonly cultivated. 
From the centre of the tuft, the flower-stalk- rises from lo to 25 feet 
in height, composed of woody tissue and standing some years after 
bearing flowers. These persistent flower-stalks, crowning the ridges 
and visible for miles, give a pecuHar aspect to the scenery. The 
century-plants are, however, nowhere as numerous as the species of 
Dasylirion^ with which they are associated, and which do not die 
with the effort of florescence. Further south, the agave supplies 
from its sweet juice the material from which an intoxicating drink is 
produced. In this region, however, an alcoholic beverage is obtained 
from the '*sotol" {Dasylirion Texanum), which, from its abundance 
and the use made of it, deserves a prominent place among the econ- 
omical plants of the country. Hundreds of thousands of acres are 
covered with this sotal, and it would seem that it might be much 
more largely utilized tlian it is for the manufacture of alcohol. 
The leaves are three to three and a half feet long by one a half 
inches wide at the base, straight, flat, and garnished on either side 
with strong recurved hooks. The color is yellow-green, and the 
leaves are very numerous. From the centre rises, at a certain 
stage of growth, a woody flower-stalk, ten feet high and at the base 
as large as one's arm. The trunk rises but a few inches above the 
ground and is completely concealed. The top of this trunk, com- 
posed of the closely imbricated leaf-bases, which are broad, yellow, 
shining, succulent and sweet, with a pulpy mass at the centre, con- 
taining much saccharine matter, raw, or better roasted, is palatable 
and nutritious; so much so, that in the country where it grows it is 
said the Indians never really suffer for want of food, as this affords 
them an abundant if not varied aliment. 
In the preparation of sotol whisky — a liquid called ;;/r5^^/, as is 
also that^ made further west from other plants — ^the portion of the 
plant which has been described is trimmed so as to resemble a head 
of cabbage, then roasted and fermented, the product of the vinous 
fermentation being distilled in the ordinary way. For roasting the 
sotol, a pit is dug, some ten feet in diameter and four feet deep, lined 
with rude masonry. In this a fire is built, and when it has been 
burned down, the pit is filled with several hundred sotol heads. 
When roasted, they are chopped in pieces and fermented in vats. 
Another interesting plant, the companion of the sotol, is the 
^^IcchngmW^.'' {Agave heterocanthd), of which the leaves furnish a 
strong fibre, universally employed for ropes, sacks, etc., in Northern 
Mexico. This grows on the mountain slopes, generally at an eleva- 
tion of about 4,000 to 5,000 feet, is common in all Northern Chihua- 
hua, and especially abundant on the Chinati Mountains in Texas. 
The Syracuse Botanical Club. — We are informed that, owin^ to 
ill health, Mrs. Grifford has been obliged to resign the position of 
Corresponding Secretary of the Syracuse Botanical Club, and that 
Mrs. S. M. Rush has been elected to fill the vacancv. 
