ALPACA. 



ALTITUDE. 



ily advanced since the article became known 

 to the manufacturer, the best proof of its 

 worth. In 1835 they amounted to 8,000 bales ; 

 in 1836, to 12,800; in 1837, to 17,500: in 1838, 

 to 25,765 ; in 1839, to 34,543 ; and in 1840, to 

 34,224 more than quadrupled in six years. 



In the Custom House returns, it is to be re- 

 gretted that alpaca wool is not distinguished 



| from the ordinary kinds arriving ft ,rm Pern. 

 The total imports for the last five years of all 

 sheep's wool, distinguishing from Peru (includ- 

 ing alpaca) and other parts, and also of red, 

 or vicuna wool, together with raw and thrown 

 silks, and goat's hair or wool, and mohair 

 yarn, are here subjoined : 



With regard to the number of these sheep 

 now in England, and their capability of being 

 naturalized, Mr. Walton adds, "Mr. Bennett, 

 of Farindon, had a pair of llamas sent to him 

 from Peru twenty years ago, and fed them as 

 sheep are usually fed, with hay and turnips in 

 the winter. From his own experience he 

 found that they are particularly hardy and 

 very long-lived. He increased his stock, and 

 has actually had six females at a time which 

 have had young ones. Of these very few have 

 died. The number of Peruvian sheep in the 

 kingdom at present (July 1841) [is short of 

 100, chiefly distributed in parks]. The exist- 

 ence of this number among us, supported by 

 their healthy appearance, as reported to me 

 from every quarter where I have been able to 

 institute inquiries, is a better proof of the ca- 

 pacity of Andes sheep to adapt themselves to 

 our climate, than any further arguments or 

 elucidations which I could adduce." 



[The demand for alpaca wool in England, 

 which the table indicates is rapidly increasing, 

 certainly shows that it is well worthy the atten- 

 tion of North American farmers to make the ex- 

 periment of raising Peruvian sheep. At a late 

 meeting of the British Association for the Ad- 

 vancement of the Arts and Sciences, Mr. Daw- 

 son made a communication on the subject of 

 the introduction into England, of a species of 

 Auchenia, or Llama of South America, and 

 presented specimens of alpaca wool, in its na- 

 tural and manufactured states, resembling silk, 

 and without being dyed, as black as jet. Na- 

 turalists distinguish five species of the llama, 

 all of which afford wool. But the alpaca alone 

 has fine wool, from six to twelve inches long, 

 and the vicuna wool, like the fur of the beaver, 

 at trie base of its coarser hair. It is capable 

 of the finest manufacture, and is especially 

 adapted to such fabrics as the finest shawls. 

 The yarns spun in England are mostly sold in 

 France for the shawl trade, at from $1.50 to 

 $3.50 per pound, according to quality, the price 

 of the wool in a natural state being about fifty 

 c .ts per pound. This wool is naturally free 

 from grease, in which resoect it differs materi- 

 76 



ally from that of common sheep, and the ani- 

 mal requires no washing before shearing. Mr. 

 Dawson remarked, that it was not certain 

 whether the alpaca could be made to thrive in 

 Great Britain. The last remark might raise a 

 doubt whether it could be raised to advantage 

 in the United States. Should it be proved that 

 the alpaca was not adapted to any part of 

 Great Britain, it would furnish no solid argu- 

 ment against their adaptation to the climate of 

 the United States, especially the Northern 

 States, and the mountainous districts every- 

 where. An interesting account of this animal 

 will be found in the third volume of the Ameri- 

 can Farmer.] 



ALTERATIVE MEDICINES. In farriery, 

 are such medicines as possess a power of 

 changing the constitution, without any sensi- 

 ble increase or diminution of the natural 

 evacuations. 



ALTERNATE HUSBANDRY. That sort 

 of management of farms, which has one part 

 in the state of grass or sward, while the other 

 is under the plough, so as to be capable of 

 being changed as there may be occasion, or as 

 the nature of the land may require. This sys- 

 tem of management is supposed to lessen the 

 expense of manure, and keep the land more 

 clean. (See HUSBAXDIIY.) 



ALTITUDE (Lat. alitudo, from altus, high). 

 In vegetable physiology, altitude or elevation 

 of surface above the level of the sea is equiva- 

 lent to a receding, whether north or south, 

 from the line of the equator, 600 feet of altitude 

 being thought to be equal to a degree [of lati- 

 tude.] Hence it follows that all varieties of 

 climate, and consequently all varieties of 

 vegetable habitat, may exist even in the same 

 latitude, merely by means of variety in the 

 altitude of the spot. This was found by Tourne- 

 | fort to be literally the fact, during his travels 

 in Asia. At the foot of Mount Ararat he met 

 with plants peculiar to Armenia; above these 

 he met with plants which are found also in 

 France ; at a still greater height he found him- 

 seli surrounded with such as grow in Sweden, 

 and at the summit, with such as vegetate in 



