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Introduction of the Alpaca into the United States. Vol. X. 



Introduction of the Alpaca into the 

 United States. 



We have observed with pleasure the in- 

 tention of the American Agricultural Asso 

 ciation, at the suggestion of R. L. Pell, of 

 Ulster county, to introduce the Peruvian 

 eheep, or Alpaca, into the United States. 

 This animal inhabits the slopes, table lands 

 and mountains of Peru, Bolivia and Chili, 

 enduring all the vicissitudes of climate. 

 They are found 12,000 feet above the level 

 of the sea, where they derive a subsistence 

 from the moss, &c., growing upon the rocks, 

 exposed to all the rigors of the elements, 

 and receiving neither food nor care from the 

 hand of man. The shepherd only visits 

 them occasionally; yet such are their gre 

 garious habits, that the members of one flock 

 seldom stray away and mix with another, 

 being kept in discipline by the older ones, 

 who know their grounds, and become at- 

 tached to the place of their nativity, to 

 which they return at night, evincing an as- 

 tonishing vigilance and sagacity in keeping 

 the young ones together, and free from 

 harm. Hence there is no need of branding 

 them. So great is the intelligence of some 

 leaders of a flock, that much value is on this 

 account attached to them by their owner, — 

 part of whose duties they perform. These 

 animals, says William Walton, are found 

 on the snow-capped mountain Chimborazo, 

 11,670 feet above the sea. In this tropical 

 region excessive heat is experienced in the 

 month of August during the day, and to- 

 wards evening the thermometer regularly 

 falls many degrees below the freezing point, 

 and the next morning rises from eight to 

 twelve degrees above it, — all of which great 

 changes they endure perfectly well. In 

 other parts of the Andes mountains, during 

 half the year snow and hail fall incessantly; 

 whilst in the higher regions, as before no- 

 ticed, every night the thermometer falls 

 many degrees below the freezing point, and 

 the peaks consequently are constantly co- 

 vered with an accumulation of ice. The 

 wet season succeeds, when lightning flashes 

 traverse the clouds in rapid succession, fol- 

 lowed pot by showers, but by torrents of 

 rain, which after collecting, fall headlong 

 from the rocks, leaving the slopes almost 

 bare of soil, and spreading desolation where- 

 ever they pass. Still the Alpacas abound 

 and thrive. Their teeth are so strong that 

 they can easily crush and masticate vegeta- 

 ble substances too hard and tough for ordi- 

 nary cattle. In the formation of their sto- 

 mach they resemble the camel, and can 

 undergo extreme hunger and thirst. Their 

 meat is tender, wholesome and savory, and 



in that country is recommended by physi- 

 cians to invalids, in preference to fowls — for 

 all declare (hat their meat is extremely 

 wholesome, and as palatable as that of fat 

 sheep in Castile. Mr. W. further remarks, 

 that in his time there were shambles in the 

 Peruvian towns where it was constantly 

 sold. The quality of Alpaca meat could not 

 fail to be good, when the cleanliness of the 

 animal and nature of its food, and neat and 

 delicate manner in which it feeds, are con- 

 sidered. They eat the purest vegetable sub- 

 stances, which they cull with the greatest 

 care, and in habitual cleanliness surpass 

 every other quadruped. The hardy nature 

 and contented disposition of the Alpaca, 

 cause it to adapt itself to almost any soil or 

 situation. The best proof of its hardiness 

 is its power to endure cold, damp, hunger, 

 and thirst, — vicissitudes to which it is con- 

 stantly exposed on its native mountains; 

 while its gentle and docile qualities are 

 evinced in its general habits of aflection to- 

 wards its keeper. 



No animal in the universe is less affected 

 by the changes of climate and food, nor is 

 ihcre any one to be found more easily domi- 

 ciliated than this. Another remarkable fea- 

 ture in the Alpaca is, that it does not trans- 

 pire ; for which reason, and its peculiarly 

 cleanly habits, the fleece does not require 

 washing before it is taken from the back. 

 Although often confined to regions where 



" Snow, piled on snow, each mass appears 

 The gathered winter of a thousand years." 



The Alpaca is free from all diseases inci- 

 dental to common slieep. The chest is 

 guarded by a collosity which comes in con- 

 tact Vv^^ith the ground while the animal re- 

 poses, and protects it from catarrhs, or other 

 disorders disabling the limbs. In whatever 

 point of view we contemplate the properties 

 and habits of this animal, it will be found 

 suitable stock for all our western and north- 

 ern States; waste and unprofitable pastures 

 would suffice them ; they would browse on 

 wild grasses and herbage that sheep and 

 cattle reject. 



They will yield 12 to 1.5 pounds of wool, 

 which is suited for the finest class of goods, 

 and calculated to compete with silk. It is 

 almost as fashionable now as that fabric, 

 being worn by her Majesty Victoria. In 

 1S34 the quantity of Alpaca wool imported 

 into England was 5,700 lbs., valued at $16 

 per quintal— in 1842, to July 9th, 1,200,000 

 lbs., valued at $25 per quintal — up to 1844, 

 8,657,164 lbs. were imported into Liverpool 

 alone, valued at $30 per quintal. In France 

 the wool is used instead of Angora for cash- 

 meres and merinoes. It has been proved to 



