26 



The Alpaca. 



Vol. X. 



useful addition will shortly iie made to our 

 stock of domestic animals. The alpaca, from 

 the experience of it which has been com- 

 plied from various quarters in this country by 

 Mr. Walton, really seems likely hereafter 

 to play an important part in the stock-farm- 

 ing of the hilly districts of the kingdom. 

 This animal is indigenous in the mountain- 

 ous regions of Peru, where two domesticated 

 species of it occur. The one, receiving the 

 name of llama, is used as a beast of burden ; 

 the other, the alpaca, to which we at present 

 allude, is a wool-bearing animal, and of it 

 large flocks were formerly possessed by the 

 Incas, sovereigns in former days of that coun- 

 try, and by otlier wealthy mhabitants of it. 

 The climate of the districts in which this 

 animal flourishes is described by Mr. Walton 

 as follows : 



" The woolly natives possess a hardiness 

 of constitution, and a peculiarity of struc- 

 ture, admirably well adapted to the nature 

 of their birth-place. There, during half the 

 year, snow and hail fall incessantly ; whilst 

 in the higher regions, as before noticed, 

 nearly every night the thermometer fall 

 below the freezing point, and the peaks, con- 

 sequently, are constantly covered with an 

 accumulation of ice. The wet season suc- 

 ceeds," &c. 



On the applicability of the alpaca to our 

 soil and circumstances, we quote the follow- 

 ing remarks : 



" The hardy nature and contented disposi- 

 tion of the alpaca, cause it to adapt itself to 

 almost any soil or situation, provided the 

 heat is not oppressive, and the air is pure. 

 The best proof of its hardiness is its power 

 to endure cold, damp, hunger, and thirst — 

 vicissitudes to which it is constantly exposed 

 on its native mountains; while its gentle and 

 docile qualities are evinced in its general 

 habits of aflx-ction towards its keeper. No 

 animal in the creation is less affected by the 

 changes of climate and food, nor is there 

 any one to be found more easily domiciliated 

 than this. It fares well while feeding below 

 the snowy mantle which envelopes the sum- 

 mits, and for several months in the year 

 clothes the sides of the Andes. It ascends 

 the rugged and rarely-trodden mountain path 

 with perfect safety; sometimes climbing the 

 slippery crag in search of food, and at others 

 instinctively seeking it on the heath, or in 

 rocky dells shattered by the wintry storm ; 

 at the same time that, when descending, it 

 habituates itself to the wet and dreary ranges 

 on the lowlands, so long as it is not exposed 

 to the intense rays of the sun. 



" Many of our northern hills would try 

 the constitution of any sheep, and yet there the 

 weather is never so inclement or so variable 



as on the Cordilleras of Peru. With so many 

 advantages, why, then, shall not the alpaca 

 have an opportunity of competing with the 

 black-faced sheep, the only breed that can ex- 

 ist in those wild and inhospitable lands! Of 

 the two, the stranger would fare best on scan- 

 ty and scattered food ; at the same time afford- 

 ing to the owner a far better remuneration." 



The alpaca wool is at present used largely 

 in British manufactures. Mr. Walton esti- 

 mates the quantity hitherto consumed, since 

 its introduction in 1832, at 12,0()0,()00 lbs. 

 The price of it varies from \s. 8d. to 2s. 6d. 

 per pound, and the average weight of the 

 fleece may be put at 10 pounds. Were the 

 animal fairly naturalized on some of our 

 bleakest hill districts, such land would soon 

 increase in value from the increased worth 

 of its annual produce in alpaca wool. And 

 it appears from the experience of several 

 gentlemen who have small flocks, that, when 

 its habits shall be thoroughly understood, lit- 

 tle difficulty will be experienced in doing so. 

 The following is a statement by Mr. Sterl- 

 ing, of Craigbarnet place, Lennoxtown, Glas- 

 gow, a gentleman better qualified to speak 

 on the subject than any one we could name : 



"I can have no doubt that, when the sub- 

 ject is better understood, the animal itself 

 better known, and a more expeditious me- 

 thod contrived to bring them to Britain, we 

 shall have thousands of them. When known, 

 their docility, their temperate habits, their 

 hardiness, and, 1 may add, their easy keep, 

 will, ere long, bring them into general no- 

 tice. I can answer without the fear of being 

 contradicted, that they will thrive and breed 

 in Scotland equal, if not superior, to our na- 

 tive black-fliced sheep." 



To those who would laugh at the idea of 

 bringing over here, and domesticating on our 

 hills, a Peruvian camel or sheep, (for the al- 

 paca has properties in common with both,) 

 we would point to Australia, a country which 

 not many years ago possessed no quadruped 

 but the kangaroo; and yet, notwithstanding 

 its many peculiarities of climate, is now 

 thickly peopled with our sheep and oxen. 

 But the question must not be left to gener- 

 alities of this kind. The experience of a 

 few short years, on the larger scale which 

 expected importations will enable, will de- 

 termine it satisfactorily ; and if, as in all 

 probability will be the case, the alpaca 

 should become one of our domestic animals, 

 the best thanks of the country will be due 

 to Mr. Walton for the persevering energy 

 with which he has pressed the subject on 

 public attention. His book is an exceedingly 

 mteresting and neatly got-np little volume, 

 and will, we doubt not, prove a useful publi- 

 cation. — British Cultivator. 



