A G A 
liTcngth it feldom hurts them : the fpring following 
the plants fhould be carefully feparated and planted 
a foot diftance from e'ach other in a fheltered fituation-, 
and the following winter, if it proves cold, it will be 
proper to cover the plants with feme light covering 
to protect them ; after the fecond winter they will re- 
quire no farther flickering. 
The common method now pracdfed by the nurfery- 
men, who propagate thefe trees for fale, is by graft- 
ing or budding them upon flocks of the Horfe Cheft- 
nut, but as the flocks greatly out-grow the buds or 
grafts, they have a bad appearance ; nor do the 
, trees laft long. 
iETHER [of a'iSfiv, Gr. to burn or flame ; fome of 
the antients having fuppofed it to be of the nature of 
fire.] It is ufually underftood to be a thin fubtile 
matter or medium, much finer and rarer than air it- 
lelf, which commences from the limits of the at- 
mofphere, and poffeffes the whole heavenly fpace. 
See Atmosphere and Air. 
AGAVE, Lin. Gen. 390. American Aloe. 
The Characters are, 
The flower has no empalement , is flunnel-fhaped , and ofl 
one leaf , which is cut at the brim into fix equal ferments-, 
the oblong germen is jituated below the flower , upon which 
rejls the fender ftyle, which is extended a conjiderabk length 
beyondt be petals, and is crowned by a three cornered flcigma. 
This is attended by fix ere ft Jlamina $ ofl the flame length , 
crowned by narrow flummits af ter the flower is paft, the 
germen becomes an oblong three cornered feed vefflel, having 
three cells , which are filled with flat feeds . 
Dr. Linnaeus has feparated the plants of this genus 
from the Aloe, to which they had been joined by for- 
mer botanifts, becaufe the ftamina and ftyle in thefe 
flowers are extended much longer than the corolla, 
and the corolla reft upon the germen, which in the 
Aloe are not fo. We may alfo mention another diffe- 
rence in the growth of the plants, by which they may 
be diftinguiflied before they flower •, which is, all the 
plants of this genus have their center 1 leaves clofely 
folding over each other, and embracing the flower 
Item which is formed in the center-, fo that thefe never 
flower until all the leaves are expanded, to give the 
Item its liberty to advance, and when the flower is 
paid, the plants die. Whereas the flower-flem of the 
Aloe, is produced on one flde of the heart or center 
of the plant, fo they flower annually, and the leaves 
are always more expanded, than thole of this genus. 
The Species are, 
1. Agave {Americana) foiiis dentato-fpinofis fcapo ra- 
mofo. Gen. Nov. 1102. The Great American Alo'e, 
with a branching flalk. Aloe Americano muricata. 
J-B. 
2. Agave ( Virginia ) folks dentato-fpinofis fcapo fim- 
pliciflimo. Lin. Sp. Plant. 323. American Aloe with a 
fimple flalk. 
3. Agave {Fcetida) foiiis integerrimis. Gen. Nov. Sp. 
PI. 323. American Aloe with ftiff whole leaves. Aloe 
Americana viridi rigidifiimo & fcetido folio piet difta 
inciigerfis. Plort. Amft. 2. p. 35. 
4. Agave ( Tuberofla ) radice tuberosa foiiis longiflimis 
marginibus fpinofis. American Aloe , with a tuberous root 
and very long leaves , with flpmes on their edges. Aloe 
Americana radice tuberosa minor. Pluk. Aim. 19. 
5. Agave {Vivipara) foiiis reflexis, marginibus denta- 
tis. American Aloe with reflexed leaves , whofle edges are 
indented. This is by fome called the Childing Aloe, 
from its producing young plants after the flowers. 
Aloe Americana fobolifera. Herm. H. Ludg. 16. 
6. Agave (Karatto) folks eredis lsete virentibus, mar- 
ginibus fufcis minime ferratis. American Aloe with 
long deep greed leaves , edged with brown , and very flight ly 
flawed. This is called in America Karatto. 
7. Agave ( VeraCruz ) foiiis oblongis marginibus fpino- 
fiffimis nigricantibus. American Aloe with oblong leaves, 
whole edges are clofely beflet with black flpines, commonly 
called Broad-leaved Aloe from Vera Cruz. Aloe America- 
na ex Vera Cruce foiiis latioribus & glaucis. H. L. 
8. Agave (Rigida) folks lineari-lanceolads integerrimis 
. rigidis aculeo terminatis. Narrow-leaved Aloe from 
A G A 
Gera Cruz. Aloe Americana ex Vera Cruce foiiis 
anguftioribus minus glaucis. Hort. Beam. 
The firft fort here mentioned, has been long pre- 
ferved in the Englifh gardens, where of late years 
there have been feveral of the plants in flower. The 
fteiris of this when the plants are vigorous, generally 
rife upward of twenty feet high, and branch out on 
every fide, fo as to form a kind of pyramid, the {len- 
der fhoots being garnifhed with greenifh yellow flow- 
ers, which Hand ered, and come out in thick clufters 
at every joint. Thefe have fix long ftamina, crown- 
ed with yellow fummits' placed round the ftyle, which 
is alfo extended to the fame length as the ftamina. 
After the flowers fall away, the germen, which is fi- 
tuated beneath the flower, becomes an oblong trian- 
gular veffel, divided into three cells, filled with com- 
preffed feeds ; but thefe do not come to maturity in 
England. 
___ c J 
When thefe plants flower, they make a fine appear- 
ance, and continue a long time in beauty, if they are 
protected from the cold in autumn, as there will be a 
iucceflion of new flowers produced, for near three 
months, in favourable feafons. It has been generally 
believed, that this plant doth not flower until it is a 
hundred years old ; but this is a great miftake, for the 
time of its flowering depends on the growth of the 
plants ^ fo that in hot countries where tney grow faff, 
and expand many leaves every fealon, they will flower 
in a few years, but in colder climates, where their 
growth is flow, it will be much longer before they 
fhoot up their idem. There is a variety of tnis fort 
with ftriped leaves, which is now pretty common in 
the Englifh gardens. 
The plants of the fecond fort are fo like thofe of the 
firft, as not to be diftinguiflied from them, but by 
good judges. The principal difference is, me leaves 
of this are narrower toward their extremity, and of a 
paler colour : the ftems of this fort do not rife io high 
as the firft, nor do they branch in the fame manner, 
but the flowers are collected into a clofe head at the 
top, they are however of the fame fhape and colour. 
There has been three or four plants of this fort, which 
have lately flowered in England, one of which was in 
the Chelfea garden a few years paft. This fort feldom 
puts out fo many offsets as the common Aloe. 
The feventh fort greatly refembles thefe, fo that many 
perfons have fuppofed it to be the fame but the 
leaves of this are much thinner, the indentures on 
their edges abundantly cloler, and not fo deep, as in 
either of the former ; the fpines too are blacker. 
How this differs from the others in flower I know not, 
having feen none of their flowers produced in England. 
Thefe three forts are hardy. I have known plants of 
the firft fort live in the open air for fome years in mild 
feafons, but in fevere winters they are always killed, 
if not fheltered. They are propagated by offsets, 
which the firft fort fends out in plenty, but the third 
feldom puts out any -, fo thefe may be increafed by 
taking off fome of the larger roots, at the time when 
the plants are fhifted, planting them in pots filled 
with light fandy earth, which will fhoot out and be- 
come good plants, as I have experienced. The fe- 
cond fort generally puts out fuckers enough for pro- 
pagation, though not in fo great plenty as the firft. 
All thefe fhould be planted in pots filled with light 
fandy earth, and hauled in winter with oranges, myr- 
tles, &c. and during that feafon, fhould have but lit- 
tle wet. In the fummer they muft be placed abroad 
in the open air, where they may ' remain till toward 
the end of October, when they fliould be houfed 
again. The feventh fort being a little tenderer than the 
Other two, fliould be put into the green-houfe before 
them, and may flay there a little longer in the fpring. 
The third fort hath long narrow ftirf leaves, of a pale 
green colour, not indented on their edges, but fre- 
quently a little waved : the fide leaves fpread open, 
but thofe in the center fold clofely over each other, 
and fcriCtly furround the bud. The plants of this fort 
rarely grow more than three feet high, but the flower- 
ftem riles near twenty, and branches out much like 
