188 



old root sends forth a numerous quantity of offsets 

 for increase. 



Perhaps there is scarce any plant in the creation 

 Which is of so general use. The wood of it is firm, 

 and serves for fences, and for the use of the carpen- 

 ter. The leaves make coverings for houses : the strings 

 and fibres serve in the room of hemp, flax, and 

 cotton. Of the prickles are made nails and awls, 

 as also pins and needles. And from a large aloe, 

 when rightly tapped, may be drawn three or four 

 hundred gallons of juice, which by distillation grows 

 sweeter and thicker till it becomes sugar. 



If there be a more beautiful flower than that of 

 the aloe, it grows on a species of Cereus (or prickly 

 pear as they call it in America), which grows well 

 in our stoves : about the middle of July the flower 

 is grown to its bigness. Till then it appears like 

 a bit of wool on a dead stem. It usually begins 

 to open about five in the evening, is full blown 

 about eight, and continues so till about iourthenext 

 morning. If then gradually closes, and is shut up 

 about six o'clock, covered with a cold moisture. The 

 calyx or empalement is a foot diameter, divided into 

 sixty segments, the outside of a fine gold colour, the 

 inside of a splendid yellow, spreading like the rays 

 of a star. The petals are about thirty, inform of 

 a cup, of a pure white. There is one style sur- 

 rounded by a great number of stamina. It sends 

 forth a very fragant perfume, like the Gum Benjamin 

 while in blossom ; the empalemeut and petals open 

 one by one with great elasticity. 



There is not in nature any flower of greater beauty, 

 or that makes a more magnificent appearance. What 

 pity, that it is only an ephemeroa ; literally the crea- 

 ture of a day. 



It has been before observed that as all animals are 

 from eggs, so all vegetables are from seeds. But 

 iwany have supposed there is one sort of vegetable, 

 which is an exception to this ; namely mushroom^ 



