Notes on the Americmi Aloe. 303 



Art. V. Notes on the American Aloe. By W. Saunders, 

 New Haven, Conn. 



There are few greenhouses where a specimen of the Agave 

 Americana, or American Aloe, is not to be seen in some form 

 or other, and, from the prevaiHng idea that it only flowers 

 once in a century, it seldom experiences any thing but the 

 roughest kind of treatment. It is undoubtedly a plant of 

 very slow growth, and requires a long time to attain that 

 size and strength necessary for flowering; but there is no 

 reason whatever for believing that its period of inflorescence 

 is only at the lapse of a century, as it entirely depends upon 

 the treatment the cultivator is pleased to give it. 



Few plants present a nobler appearance when in bloom. 

 The flower stem rises to a height of from twenty to thirty 

 feet, thickly set with branches, which are covered with thou- 

 sands of fully expanded flowers at one time, in which there 

 is secreted a copious supply of nectar, having rather a disa- 

 greeable scent, and of an adhesive, gluey texture, and I will 

 long remember the varnishing I received when inspecting 

 one in full bloom, by unwittingly touching the flower stem. 

 Such a floral beauty is of great mterest, and no doubt there 

 are numerous plants in this country that would flower with 

 a few years' kindly attention and proper treatment ; and the 

 small amount of trouble they require, will be amply repaid 

 if the cultivator have the pleasure of bringing them into 

 bloom. 



I have succeeded in bringing them into flower under the 

 following routine of culture, and I have no doubt others will 

 find success equally certain by following something like the 

 same course of treatment. 



If the plant has been a number of years in the same soil 

 it will be advisable to turn it out of the pot or tub; examine 

 the roots and clear away as much of the old effete soil as 

 possible, without damaging any of the healthy roots. If the 

 ball of earth has been considerably reduced, a pot or tub of 

 the same size will probably answer for the purpose of repot- 

 ting it, as it is not advisable to have a great mass of fresh 

 soil about the roots at this time. '^I'hey seem to thrive well 

 in a mixture of rough, fibry healthy loam, and peat earili, 



