ALOE VERA: THE DRUGSTORE YOU GROW ON A WINDSILL

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Along the Texas - Mexico border, for instance, old timers will clean quite a large wound with antiseptic and then bandage a cut Aloe vera leaf to it, just as the Indians did. Another leaf is applied when the dressing is changed. Folks in those parts put the gel on the skin to protect against insect bites or to relieve itching, too.

I've also heard that Mexican women use the plant cosmetically by rubbing the leaves on their faces to prevent wrinkles and the men use it as a shampoo to prevent baldness and graying. The thick juice is massaged into the hair and scalp which absorb it within a few hours-and left on overnight. The next morning, when the dried gel is washed off (no soap is necessary) lo, the hair is silky, manageable, and supposedly more luxuriant than before!

The internal benefits of Aloe vera are supposed to be just as amazing. The plant is said to improve the digestion and to relieve ulcers. Some people consider it a laxative, while others attribute that effect to its digestive qualities (which normalize the system and induce regularity). The juice is also prescribed for arthritis and rheumatism. To test any of these claims, steep the cut foliage in water or chew pieces of the fresh leaf.

Those who keep Aloe vera on their windowsills may not be used to thinking of it as an outdoor species (except. in its native tropics). In southern Florida and Texas, however, the plaid is often used in landscaping and grows so large that a single mature le at weighs over a pound. Even in if), North, a potted specimen will thrive t outside during the summer if it's protected from the full sun (yes, it sunburns!). The plant can be moved out doors simply by submerging its pot in the earth up to the rim but will grow much faster and larger if unspotted and planted in open ground Summer rains will do the Aloe vera good if it's kept warm and well drained the foliage, however, will rot in cold, damp places.

During the fall, of course, northern gardeners should repot their Aloe veras in good garden soil fortified with a bit of limestone and bring them indoors Don't water the plants for 24 hours after the move.

Keep your windowsill Aloe vera on the dry side, give it a light dose of liquid fertilizer now and then, and remember to mist the leaves with tepid' water occasionally. So cared for, the green first aid kit will stay healthy and handsome and always ready to treat your mirror accidents and ailments.

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