59°  A  Botanical  Excursion  to  Mexico.  {^^S^m.' 
opment  on  the  Gulf  Coast.  The  rich  agricultural  soil  of  the  valley 
grows  a  varied  and  luxuriant  series  of  mesophytes.  It  presents,  in 
its  constricted  area,  a  veritable  botanical  garden,  right  at  the  doors 
of  the  population  of  the  capital. 
Space  will  not  permit  a  detailed  account  of  the  plants  found 
growing  in  the  different  vegetable  zones.  Only  one  or  two  plants 
can  be  taken  by  way  of  illustration.  The  xerophytes  show  very 
thick  leaves,  thick  cuticle  and  a  hairy  or  spiny  covering,  and  are 
usually  consolidated  in  structure.  The  plants  are  peculiarly  con- 
structed so  as  to  store  water  by  means  of  certain  mucilaginous  sub- 
stances, which  absorb  moisture  and  hold  it  tenaciously,  giving  it 
off  very  slowly  to  the  air.  The  agave,  maguey,  or  century  plant, 
commonly  found  cultivated  on  the  plateau  of  Anahuac,  is  a  typical 
xerophyte.  It  is  to  be  seen  growing  wild  in  desert  places  and  on 
lava  beds,  and  grows  in  one  or  two  forms  to  a  large  size  (8  feet), 
weighing  sometimes  600  to  800  pounds.  It  is  a  plant  of  consid- 
erable pharmaceutical  interest.  It  stores  up  in  its  tissues  a  surpris- 
ing amount  of  a  sugary  water,  which  exudes  when  the  plant  is 
tapped,  as  the  so-called  honey  water,  or  aguamiel.  This  aguamiel, 
when  fermented,  yields  the  beverage  called  pulque,  which  is  con- 
sumed in  large  quantities  by  the  poorer  Mexicans,  who  pay  una 
quatrillo  (3  cents  Mexican,  1  y2  cents  American)  for  a  glass  of  this 
yeasty-tasting  alcoholic  drink.  It  is  obtained  from  the  plant  in  the 
following  way:  When  the  agave,  which  yields  the  liquid  honey- 
water,  reaches  adult  size,  turns  slightly  yellow  and  begins  to  shoot 
up  a  flower  stalk,  or  before  that  time,  it  is  tapped  by  hollowing 
out  a  concavity  in  the  core  of  the  plant  at  the  base  of  the  central 
leaves,  which  stand  upright  and  are  not  yet  fully  expanded.  The 
pulque  gatherer,  with  a  long,  hollow  gourd,  pierced  at  both  ends, 
draws  the  aguamiel  by  suction  from  the  concave  place  as  it  wells 
up  from  beneath.  He  is  clad  in  cheap  cotton  clothes,  and  wears  a 
hide  apron  fastened  around  his  waist  and  a  thick  leather  knee-pad 
on  his  left  leg.  Then  pressing  the  spiny  leaves  aside  with  his  left 
knee,  he  pushes  one  end  of  his  gourd  with  his  right  hand  into  the 
tapped  place  and  draws  upon  the  other  end  with  his  mouth,  until 
he  has  filled  the  gourd  with  maguey  liquid.  He  then  transfers  it  to 
a  vessel  made  of  pottery  reinforced  by  wicker-work,  or,  as  is  the 
usual  custom,  he  pours  it  into  a  vessel  made  of  a  hogskin.  When  his 
skin  vessel  is  full,  he  carries  it  to  the  shed,  where  for  thirty-six  hours, 
