100 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[JiARCn, 
'Jtfg^S^i- 
CAMELS UPON THE AMERICAN DESERT. — Engraved for the American Agricutturi^. 
necessary liere to speak. On the southern des- 
erts they at first bade fair to succeed. They 
crossed with ease those desolate stretches that 
were vcr^ trjdng to horses and mules, but ■while 
they could go longer without water, the "alka- 
line water" of the American desert seemed as 
fatal to them as to other animals. They obtain 
from the stunted shrubs, where there is little or 
no grass, a larger proportion of their food than 
horses or mules ; and it is stated that they will 
even eat sparingly the stinlcing" Creosote bush" 
{Larrca Mcxicana) of the Colorado and Arizon- 
ian deserts, a plant no other animal will touch. 
Various causes induced the sale of govern- 
ment camels, and we believe none arc now 
owned by the government, but that all were sold 
in California, and are now scattered over that 
state and Nevada. We have heard of no camels 
in Texas since the beginning of the recent war. 
They were a losing speculation to govern- 
ment, selling at onlj' one-fifth of their origiual 
cost, or even less, for it is currcntlj- stated that 
camels which cost the United States §1,800 
each, sold at an average of about $150. Some 
of the Bactrians that were imported jirivately, 
proved a better speculation, we believe. 
Tlio dromedaries are the largest, and some 
were tine animals compared with the miscraljle 
caricatures we see in menageries. The strength 
of one of them which was detailed for use by 
the United States California Boundary Com- 
mission, in 1800, while at Los Angelos in South- 
ern California, was tested by some of the reck- 
less employes. He was packed with a load of 
2,D00 pounds, while kneeling ; he rose and walk- 
ed about the corral with that enormous load 
and did not api\car to be injured. He was kil- 
led a few niglits later by one of his mates that 
got loose and attacked Mm with his ponderous 
feet (their weapons of offence). The heavy 
blows could be heard nearly a mile, while the 
drivers dared not intefere. The skeleton of 
this animal was sent to the Smithsonian Insti- 
tute, where we suppose it is now to be seen. 
It is a curious fact that horses and mules are 
very miich afraid of these animals, until they 
become accustomed to their appearance and 
odor. A grizzly bear does not inspire so great 
terror, as does a camel. Sometimes the horses 
seem perfectly frantic even before they can 
see the animals, simply from smelling them. 
The newspapers stated that at one time, about 
1859, the town of Brownsville in Texas passed 
an ordinance declaring camels a nuisance, 
and prohibiting their being driven tlirough the 
streets, owing to their effect on the horses ; and 
California newspapers contain many accounts 
of runaway horses in the various towns where 
camels arc seen, incited by this same cause. 
Nevertheless, when horses and mules become 
accustomed to them, they appear very much 
attached to their homely comrades. 
A few camels are now scattered over Cali- 
fornia, but most of them are in Nevada, where 
they are used mamly in packing salt from the 
deserts for use in the processes of silver ex- 
traction ; the usual load is about 000 to 800 
pounds. We have no means of knowing the 
actual number of camels now alive in this 
country, but as before stated, their numbers are 
decreasing, although some have been born here. 
There are several causes which combine to 
render the success of camels in the United 
States more than doubtful. Our deserts arc un- 
like those of Asia and Africa, they are more 
covered with shrubs, and often the surface is 
strewed with sharp, cutting fragments of vol- 
canic rocks. Wc have much greater daily ex- 
tremes of heat and cold, and at times heavy 
rains and snows. At these times, the feet and 
backs of the camels arc apt to get very soro. 
An Arab can wait ; he is never in a hurry ; if 
he can find feed, a few weeks more or less is 
not of much matter. Not so with the Ameri- 
can, he is in a hurry, he can not wait, even to 
save his camel. Furthermore, in Asia camels 
are abundant, so that if one gets sore and the 
caravan is in haste, the anknal is sold or traded 
for a sound one. A few weeks' rest will recruit 
him, and he is ready for a new journey. But 
here he is used as long as he can go, then 
thrown aside for new animals. They seem ill 
adapted to the habits of Americans, especially 
that class who have long used mules for pack- 
ing on our western plains. 
" The last camels I saw," says Prof. Brewer, 
"were near Virginia City, Nevada. Their backs 
had not been cared for, and they liad been used 
in packing heavy loads of salt from the deserts. 
Salt water and alkali had accumulated in the 
long hair of their humps, their pack-saddles had 
galled them, and great loathsome sores nearly 
covered the jiarts touched by the saddle. A 
pitiless snow squall was sweeping just then 
over this iuhospitable region, and those miser- 
able beasts having fallen into bad hands, and in 
a bad climate, looked sadly enough. Late Cali- 
fornia papers relate that soon after opening the 
last addition to the Pacific Rail Road in that 
State, the locomotive demolished a camel that 
had strayed upon the track. Who he belonged 
to, or how he came there remained unknown. 
The merciless steam-car knocked him aside to 
give place to a more truly American favorite. 
AVe have more hopes in the success of the Pa- 
cific Rail Road, than in camels, be they one- 
humped or two-humped." 
