5 
was in the act of collecting a specimen of dahlia flowers, he as- 
tonished and delighted me by informing me that its root was 
eaten. In order to test him, I professed great incredulity and 
even made sport of his statement, whereupon he most earnestly 
and somewhat indignantly ran and pulled up a bunch of roots 
Fic. 2. Dahlias in Lava Bed, near Ajusco, Mexico. 
and insisted that they were eaten by his peope. I consider 
this not only a very interesting but economically a most important 
subject for investigation. 
The century plants, or magueys, one species of which is here 
represented, are noted rather as beverage plants than as food 
plants. Their use for such purposes, as well as for their fiber, 
is pretty well known, and is much too extensive to be discussed at 
