Flovjering of Agave americana at Clo'wance. 

 Abstract of the Estate of Ciddees. 



271 



The other kinds of timber follow in the same manner ; and, 

 lastly, their totals, summing up the whole number of trees, their 

 cubic feet and value, upon the property. 



Art. III. Notice of the Floivering of an Agave americana in the 

 F/oiver-Garden at Cloivance, in the County of Cornwall, the Seat of 

 Sir John St. Aubyn, Bart. Communicated by T. Symoxs. 



On referring to your Arhoretiwi ct Fruticetwn Britannicum 

 (p. 2529.), I see there is a notice of a splendid plant of the 

 Agave americana, planted by the late Mr. Yates, in his garden 

 at Saltcombe Bay, in Devonshire. Its rapid growth during the 

 sixteen years, from the time it was planted out to the time of its 

 flowering, is extraordinary; and its flower stem, 27ft. high, 

 loaded with 16,000 blossoms, must have exhibited perhaps one 

 of the finest specimens of its kind ever seen in this country. The 

 one I have to offer to your notice, although not so splendid a 

 plant, may still be worth noticing in your valuable Magazine, 

 and the accompanying sketch {Jig. ^O.), by Mr. Rutger, jun., 

 may serve to give some of your readers, who may not have had 

 an opportunity of seeing a plant of the kind in flower, an idea of 

 the nature of its growth, &c. 



Mr. Rutger, sen., my predecessor, informs me that, when he came to Clow- 

 ance, in the year 1800, he found the plant in a small tub ; and that about 

 the vear 180G he turned it out, and planted it in the flower-garden, on the 

 bite where its remains still stand. For many years, it was nearly stationary, 

 making but little progress in point of size ; which maybe accounted for by no 

 particular attention having been paid to the preparation of soil, as the object 

 of planting it out was rather to obtain additional room in the green-house, 

 than anv ulterior view with respect to its flowering. About ten years ago, 

 the plant began to appear in a more thriving state ; and, during the last four 

 years, it made rapid advances towards maturity. At the latter end of last 

 June, when the flower stem made its first appearance, the plant was 7 ft. 2 in. 



