142 THE GEOGRAPHY OF PLANTS. 



and by no means of remarkable beauty. Here 

 abound a variety of plants of singular form, 

 commonly known to botanists under the names 

 of Agave, Furcrcea, and Yucca. One species 

 of the latter ( Y. gloriosa) is commonly known 

 as Adam's needle ; and one of the agaves (A. 

 Americana) is the celebrated American aloe. 

 Some of these plants are stemless, while others 

 have stems of various height and size, some of 

 them fairly deserving to be called gigantic. 



The agaves are cultivated in Mexico to a 

 very large extent for the sake of the sap, which 

 is very plentiful, and which, after being drawn 

 from a wound made in the flowering shoot just 

 as it begins to rise, is fermented, and forms a 

 liquor called " pulque." which is a very 

 favourite beverage among the Mexicans. A 

 good plant yields from eight to fifteen pints of 

 pulque per day, during two or three months ; 

 and a very vigorous plant is said to yield seven 

 gallons per day, and through a much longer 

 period. It is singular that the plants grow on 

 the very driest ground, which is often scarcely 

 covered with soil. Pulque is said to have a 

 remarkably disagreeable odour, resembling 

 putrid flesh ; but when once the repugnance to 

 this smell is overcome, even foreigners prefer 

 pulque to every other drink, for it is said to be 

 very nutritious and refreshing. Some idea of 

 the enormous quantity consumed may be 

 formed from the fact, that, before the revolu- 

 tion, from a very small duty laid upon it, no 

 less than 170,000 were paid yearly upon that 



