332  Products  of  the  Century  Plants.  {hm'{^;^m' 
The  same  name  is  given  also  to  a  fibre  from  a  species  of  yucca. 
Tampico  hemp  is  used  for  making  brushes  of  various  kinds,  and  for 
door-mats. 
PULQUE,  THE   NATIONAL  DRINK. 
Several  species  are  important  because  of  their  sap,  which  is  used 
for  making  pulque,  mezcal  and  some  other  liquors  of  less  impor- 
tance. These  plants  are  known  as  the  pulque  agaves  (pronounced 
pool'ka)  and  mezcal  agaves.  The  common  century  plant  of  our 
greenhouses  is  one  of  the  most  important  of  the  pulque  agaves. 
The  pulque  agaves  are  cultivated  on  the  plateaus  and  in  nearly 
all  parts  of  the  mountainous  districts  at  from  6,000  to  8,000  feet 
above  sea-level,  but  the  vicinity  of  the  City  of  Mexico  is  the  great 
centre  of  the  pulque  industry.  For  a  distance  of  about  sixty  miles 
on  all  sides  of  the  capital  city  there  are  immense  pulque  planta- 
tions, many  of  them  containing  thousands  of  acres  of  land.  Many 
small  farms  also  are  wholly  or  partially  devoted  to  raising  the 
pulque  agave ;  and  many  families  who  do  not  make  a  business  of 
growing  the  plant  keep  a  few  growing  in  their  door-yards  from 
which  to  obtain  their  own  supply  of  pulque. 
The  pulque  agaves  are  cultivated  in  the  same  manner  as  the  sisal 
agaves.  When  ready  to  bloom  the  plant  produces  large  quantities 
of  sap  which,  under  ordinary  conditions,  would  go  to  form  the  tall 
stout  flower-pole  and  flowers.  But  the  "  pulquero,"  i.e.,  the  sap. 
gatherer,  cuts  out  the  bud  and  the  rosette  of  leaves  in  which  it 
nestles  and  scoops  out  a  hollow  in  the  top  of  the  plant.  Into  this 
hollow  a  great  amount  of  sweet  greenish,  yellowish  or  whitish  juice 
exudes.  This  juice  is  called  aguamiel,  meaning  honey  water,  and  is 
much  liked.  The  flow  continues  for  three  or  tour  months,  some 
plants  yielding  as  much  as  2  gallons  per  day.  The  pulquero  visits 
each  plant  at  least  twice  a  day  to  collect  the  sap.  The  sap  is  drawn 
by  suction  into  a  long  gourd  and  is  then  emptied  into  a  pigskin  bag 
carried  on  the  back  of  the  pulquero  or  on  the  back  of  a  burro.  Each 
day  the  sides  of  the  hollow  in  which  the  sap  is  collected  are  scraped 
in  order  to  permit  free  exudation.  But  small  quantities  of  aguamiel 
are  consumed,  because  it  so  rapidly  ferments  that  transportation  to. 
the  cities  is  almost  impossible.  When  fermented  it  is  called  pulque. 
The  usual  method  of  fermenting  is  to  add  an  equal  amount  of  milk 
and  a  small  quantity  of  rennet;  pour  the  mixture  into  vats  made  of 
