PROPERTIES AND USES 



Synopsis of the Properties and Uses. 



The Fibre. The leaves yield a fibre, the ALOE FIBRE, SISAL HEMP 

 or VEGETABLE SILK, which in common with most fibres of this class is 

 i (ten designated Pita. 



Medicine. The large, moist, fleshy leaves are sometimes used as a 

 poultice. The expressed juice of the leaves is administered by American 

 tloi tors as a resolvent and alterative, especially in syphilis (Ponder 

 and Hooper, Mat. Med. Ind., 165). The roots are diuretic and anti- 

 \ | .hilitic, and are said to find their way to Europe mixed with Sarsaparilla. 

 Pivscott (Hist. Mexico) says that when properly cooked, the root affords 

 a " palatable and nutritious food." 



Food and Fodder. In its young green state the stem is regularly used 

 as an article of FOOD, as for example during the famine of North Arcot 

 (Lisboa, Useful PI. Bomb., 205). In The Agricultural Ledger (1893, No. 

 3) Mr. J. 0. Miller gives the results of the experiments made in the 

 United Provinces to test the value of these plants as articles of food, and 

 the conclusion may be said to have been unfavourable. The leaves are 

 occasionally utilised as FODDER, especially for ostriches. [Of. Agri. 

 Journ., Dept. Agri. Cape Colony, July 1896, 252, 386.] 



The Sap. If the central bud be lopped off at the flowering season, 

 the cut stem discharges freely a sour-sweet liquid which ferments rapidly 

 and forms the Pulque beer of the Spaniards, or by distillation a kind of 

 brandy known as Mescal. The putrid odour of the pulque is said to be 

 due to the vats in which it is fermented being made of hides (Century 

 Diet., 1899, vi., 484). The species specially cultivated for pulque is 

 probably A. Saliniana, Otto, never A. umri-icnna, Linn. [Cf. Journ. 

 a" Agri. Trop., 1901, 42 ; Drummond and Prain, I.e. 98 ; Bull. Un. Agri. 

 Caled., 1903, ix., 11.] Sugar and vinegar may also be prepared from 

 the sap. 



Industrial. The juice may be used as a SUBSTITUTE for SOAP. 

 Wall-plaster impregnated with the expressed juice is said to be proof 

 against the ravages of white ants. (This same statement of the use in 

 Cement has, it will be found, been made under Aloe, p. 59 ) A writer in 

 The Madras Mail (Oct. 1901) says that the juice rubbed on the hands 

 and feet protects them from injury by fire, hence the " fire-walking " 

 of the Saniyasis. The flowering stem, dried and cut into slices, may 

 be employed as a natural razor-strop or as a substitute for cork. The 

 pulp after removal of the fibre is a valuable manure for the land on 

 which the plant has been cultivated. It is rich in lime, magnesia and 

 potash. 



Fibre. If possible, it would seem the most useful course to refer the 

 observations that follow to two sections : (I.) THE PRODUCTION OP 

 THE ALOE FIBRES and (II.) THE PRODUCTION OF SISAL HEMP. 

 The former practically means the fibre from stock acclimatised in 

 India many years ago, and the latter the fibre of more recently 

 introduced plants. There are, however, only two or three localities in 

 India where Agaves are systematically cultivated, and in these planta- 

 tions, both old and new stock doubtless exist. But so much ambiguity 

 and lisappointment have resulted from not separately recognising the 

 merits of the old stock that it seems desirable to endeavour to separate the 

 Indian fibre into the two groups indicated, viz. American Aloe Fibre (old 

 stock) and Sisal Hemp (new stock), (pp. 39-43). 



35 



AGAVE 



Economic 

 Properties 



M.. 1. hM 



Food and 

 Fodder. 



The Sap. 



Beer and 



Braady. 



ItanL 



Sugar and 

 vinegar. 



Soap Substitute. 

 Cement. 

 White Ante. 



Razor-strops. 



The Fibre. 



