Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-06-13
horticultural.
From the American Farmer.
EIOW INC HMerIcah FaTmeI
The Alpaca, or Sheep Of the Andes.

England, ireland, and Scotland, to introduce In
to these countries the fne-wooed sheep of por-
ton of South America, called alpaeas, or the
sheep Of the Andes. AS far as experiments have
gone, it appears not only practicable to natural
lze or acclimate them to the climates of these
respective countries but the gratifying facts have
been demonstrated, that they arrive earlier, by
two years, at that state when the powers of pro-
creation are developed; that the wool is finer g.
softer than that imported from their native coun-
try, having much more yolk impaired to it by the
superior pasturage found in Great Britain, to that
found on their natal mountains, and that the
fleece is also increased in weight from so to 70
per cent, as we'll as in length of staple These
facts embrace considerations of great moment in
an agricultural point of view, as they tend very
much to enhance the value of their wool, both to
the manufacturer and the farmer
The Alpacas are represented as hardy, docile
animals, affected neither by wet or cold; exist
ing best on the coarse heritage of mountain pas
tures-on such heritage as scarcely any other
animals could subsist upon. So far as the ex-
perlments in Great Britain go to establish facts
connected with their habits, it would seem that
the greatest difficulty to be apprehended in that
country arises from the too great luxurance of
the pastures in the cultivated portions of these
countries, producing surleits in the blood, which
produce cutaneous affections resembling the itch
in the human family, But as this is physical
difficulty, which may be overcome by depastur-
ing them in the mountain regions, it is not of Sc
rious moment, because it may be avoided The
supposed average weight of the clip in the range
of Peruvian mountains, the Andes, is 0 pounds
whereas in England they have risen to II pounds
This fact shows that translation from South A
merica to Great Britain has exerted fortunate
influence upon that part of their production which
imparts to them their greatest value; for atho
their carcass, when they are killed young, is a.
. valuable for edible purposes, weighing 1870 lbs,
still their wool must be looked upon as the most
lucrative part Of Them that being fine and silk
y most happily adapted to all the nicer qualities
Of wooden fabrics, and commanding high prices
and ready sales.
The alpacas live for IL years without expert
enclng any material deterioration in their yield
of fleece, and in this respect may be said to pos
sess an advantage over common sheep, or, indeed
over either the merinos or SaXony mernos their
wool being finer longer, more silky and prefer
red in The manufacture of most of the goods of a
more delicate TEXTURE and the fact that the fleece
of one alpaca is equal in weight to upwards of 5
or 6 merinos or Saxons, is a consideration ofpre-
ponderating force.
The cost of the alpaca, including the purchase
and transportation to the shipping port from the
mountains, is trifng-not exceeding SIS head
and we should presume that the freight to Amer
lea would not exceed from SIS to $40 head
so that the cost here could not exceed $25.
We have brought this subject to the notice O
our readers, because we are most sensbly i'm.
pressed with the belief that there is an obviou:
necessity for change in the system of husband
ryof this country that other products than those
now raised will have to be grown, to maintain
such prices as will prove remunerative of the la
Dor bestowed and capital invested We hav
long foreseen that there was abroad a spirit o
concentration upon particular crops, and an ex
pansion Of the quantity grown, that would oper
ate to decrease their moneyed value. Among
these, we will, for the present, enumerate thre
great staples of the planting and farming inter
ests. The cotton, tobacco, and wheat culture
within the last few years, have been so extended
as that it may now be said to have reached
point Of production beyond the demand, and t
indicate, with unerring certainty, that porto
of the force now engaged in growing these pre-
auctions must be diverted to other and new pul
suits and we have deemed it our duty to preser
to their consideration the propriety of importin
alpacas with the view of their engaging in tn
most profitable branch of wool growing. TIL
English farmers have already tested the impol
tant truths, that the alpaca does not deteriorat
by being translated to the highlands of England
Scotland and Ireland but on the contrary tn
animal undergoes most striking improvement
in earlier breeding, as we'll as in the quality an
quantity of his fleece; and we think this sufi
cient inducement for our farmers and planter
to go at once into the experiment of testing II
question whether our country is not equally we
adapted to the introduction of the alpaca as
Their England, Ireland or Scotland
In our vast territory there are millions of acrt
OF mountain lands which are now not producer
a dollar year to their propretors, that might
converted into alpaca pastures and thus render,
sources Of great profit In Virginia, North al
South Carolina, and Georgia, there are mour
aims and highlands enough, if converted in
walks for the sheep of the Andes, as would, in
very few years, add million to the annual
come of those States.
A British writer says.
"These woody natives possess hardness
constitution and peculiaritV Of str,o.,,~o
mirably adapted to the nature of their brthpl la,
There, during half the year, snow and hail
necessarily; whilst in the higher regions, as
fore noticed, nearly every night the thermome
fals. below the freezing point and the peaks
constantly covered with an accumulation of i
Many of our northern hills would try the con
tuition of any sheep, and yet there the weaths