334  Products  of  the  Century  Plants.  {AmjJu^i£5arm' 
raw  cowskins  and  allow  it  to  stand  about  thirty-six  hours.  It 
curdles  somewhat  and  resembles  thin  buttermilk,  has  an  unpleasant 
odor  like  partially  decayed  meat  or  rancid  cheese  and  tastes  like 
stale  buttermilk.  Persons  unaccustomed  to  its  use  find  it  at  first 
disgusting  and  nauseating,  but  soon  acquire  a  taste  for  it  and  find  it 
palatable  and  refreshing.  Taken  in  large  quantities  it  is  intoxicat- 
ing.   It  contains  about  7  per  cent,  alcohol. 
Pulque  is  the  national  drink  of  the  Mexicans,  just  as  beer  is  the 
national  drink  of  the  Germans,  or  as  wine  is  the  national  drink  of 
the  French.  Large  areas  of  land  and  many  thousands  of  laborers 
are  devoted  to  its  production.  The  railroads  of  the  pulque  district 
run  daily  pulque  trains  to  the  City  of  Mexico,  and  to  other  parts  of 
the  country,  and  large  quantities  are  carried  on  the  backs  of  burros 
into  the  capital  and  other  cities  in  the  pulque  district.  The  City  of 
Mexico  has  about  1,000  "  pulqueras  "  or  "  cantinas,"  ie.t  saloons,  in 
which  nothing  but  pulque  is  sold.  The  daily  consumption  in  that 
city  exceeds  50,000  pints. 
Another  product  of  agave  is  mezcal,  a  clear,  strongly  alcoholic 
liquor  made  by  distilling  the  sap  of  various  species  of  agave.  The 
pulque  agaves  may  be  used  for  the  purpose,  but  most  of  the  mezcal 
is  distilled  from  the  juice  of  other  species  which  are  called  mezcal 
agaves  or  mezcal  magueys.  These  plants  have  thinner  and  narrower 
leaves  than  the  pulque  agaves.  Mezcal  is  called  also  mexcalr 
aguardiente  de  maguey,  and  tequila.  In  English  it  is  often  called 
Mexican  brandy.  Its  taste  resembles  that  of  strong  rum.  It  is 
extremely  intoxicating  and  brutalizing.  Large  quantities  are  con- 
sumed throughout  Mexico,  and  it  is  one  of  the  national  drinks.  The 
entire  product  of  pulque  and  mezcal  is  consumed  in  Mexico. 
Vinegar  is  made  by  rapidly  fermenting  the  sap.  When  com- 
pletely evaporated  the  sap  yields  sugar;  partially  evaporated  it 
yields  a  sweet,  honey-like  syrup. 
The  pulque  and  mezcal  agaves  yield  fibre  similar  but  much 
inferior  to  that  of  the  sisal  agaves.  The  plants  are  grown  almost 
exclusively  for  the  sap  products.  What  fibre  is  extracted  is  used 
locally. 
A  WIDE  VARIETY  OF  PRODUCTS. 
The  fibre  and  the  sap  are  the  most  important  products  of  these 
plants,  and  it  is  for  these  that  they  are  cultivated.  But  there  are  many 
