ALPACAS FOR. THE UNITED STATES. 
319 
with the advantage of placing farm buildings on a 
moderately inclined side hill, than here. The barn 
is three stories high; loaded teams can be driven 
from the highest part of d« ground into the upper 
story. u " ,v - tUe y unioa d the wheat, rye, oats, &c, 
in sheaf, where it is threshed by a machine, the 
straw pitched into the yard and stacked or mowed 
away in the same loft, while the grain falls through 
a stationary separator in the floor, into a fanning 
mill in the second story; and after passing through 
this, it is conducted by spouts into bins in the third 
story. The second story is appropriated princi- 
pally to the storage of hay, and into this the teams 
also are driven and unloaded. All this saves the 
slow and painful labor of pitching on a high 
scaffold or mow. The first story is under ground 
on one side, and is devoted to stabling. Here is an 
upright horse power, which propels the thresher, 
fanning mill, hay cutter, mill for grinding grain, 
and other machinery. The barnyards are spa- 
cious, and well arranged for the stock and saving 
manure. 
A Liquid-Manure Tank. — The lawn descends a 
few feet on the north side of the house, at a suita- 
ble distance from which, Mr. Morris has excavated 
the earth, and built a stone-cemented tank, to re- 
ceive the wash from the kitchen and water closets. 
This tank is covered with sod, and cannot be seen 
from the house nor lawn. An opening is left on the 
north side for a cart to back up to it. The driver 
then turns a cock in the tank, and the liquid runs 
out into the cask on the cart. When full, he drives 
where it is to be used, and by means of a short 
hose, distributes the liquid where required. It has 
been found highly beneficial this season in water- 
ing young fruit trees. This is the best contrived 
tank we have yet seen, and we recommend its 
adoption wherever the ground inclines from the 
house, and from the stables also. Even the open- 
ing to it can be completely screened from view, if 
desired. When we first saw it, we supposed it was 
an ice house, so neatly is it finished. 
Improved Stock. — Mr. Morris is a great amateur, 
and no inconsiderable breeder of fine stock. He 
began his improvements about ten years since, by 
importing some of the celebrated Dutch breed of 
milking cows. To these, he added the very best 
milkers he could find in this country, such as pure 
natives, and crosses of the Dutch, Durham, &c. 
Some of these animals were very extraordinary in 
their milking properties. Highly fed, they r would 
give from 25 to 30 quarts of milk per day, for 
several weeks in succession, after calving ; and a 
3W of them, if permitted, would hold their milk, 
all the year round, till calving time again. 
But after assembling this stock in his yard, Mr. 
Morris saw with the quick eye of a refined breeder, 
that it was wanting, as a whole, in some desirable 
qualities. To obtain these, then, was a great 
desideratum. After maturely considering the whole I 
matter, and taking various crosses, he at length | 
settled upon using shorthorn bulls, selected from 1 
the best milking families. These, after a few gene- 
rations, produced him what he wanted, and he can 
now show a beautiful herd of high grade cows 
and heifers, which have not deteriorated from the 
great milking properties of their ancestors ; and to 
this, not only desirable, but, as we hold, absolutely 
indispensable quality of a good cow, he has super- 
added that of improved shape, better handling, and 
earlier maturity. As an instance of this last quality, 
his heifers now generally calve at two years old, 
and attain full size and maturity at three and a half 
to four years. Our readers will recollect that native 
cows can scarce ever calve without injury till 
three years old, and that they do not attain full 
maturity till five or six. Mr. Morris thus gains 
one year upon the unimproved stock, which is cer- 
tainly a matter of no trifling consideration to the 
breeder. 
As large towns and cities are increasing rapidly, 
now, throughout the Union, it is becoming a matter 
of national importance to supply their population 
wiihpure milk of a good quality; otherwise, diseases 
of a very fatal kind ensue, particularly among 
infants and small children. But how can good 
milk be obtained if we have not good animals to 
produce it/? 
Experienced dairymen, who have been engaged 
in supplying towns and cities with milk, for years, 
inform us that the average product varies from six 
to ten quarts per day for each cow, for the first six 
months after calving. And this, be it remembered, 
is from picked, native cows. Now. if an improved 
race can be bred, which will average from twelve 
to fifteen quarts per day, what an addition this 
would be to the resources of the country. This 
alone would add millions to its annual productive 
wealth ; for recollect, it costs no more to keep a 
good cow than it does a poor one, and frequently, 
owing to her highly-improved, digestive and distri- 
buting powers, it does not cost so much. 
What a desirable thing, could all the farmers of 
the United States be convinced of the importance of 
this, as well as other improvements. How much 
it would add to their comfort, their happiness, and 
their power of doing good. Would that they could 
see this in the light that we do; we should not then 
be obliged to plead the cause of improvement so 
often and so vainly as we now do. 
The Mansion of Mr. Morris is built of hewn 
stone, and is in the Italian style of architecture. 
It is roomy, elegant, and very commodious. It 
stands on elevated ground, and is surrounded on 
all sides by a fine, wide lawn, studded with beau- 
tiful flowers, shrubbery, and trees. The views 
from the house are varied and commanding. They 
embrace Staten Island, the city of New York, the 
Hudson, Harlem and East Rivers, together with 
the country around for a distance of 30 miles 
or more. It is really a desirable spot, and if we 
are ever so lucky as to be able to possess the like 
of it, we shall think ourselves particularly fortunate. 
We then would go to breeding shorthorns, and 
other fine stock, again; besides growing huge 
crops, and indulging in other useful fancies, which 
it is now idle in us to name. 
Alpacas for the United States. — Mr. L. T. 
Brown, of the U. S. Legation, near Bolivia, has 
written to the Managers of the American Institute, 
of New York, offering to procure alpacas, vicunas, 
or llamas, for American agriculturists. Their cost 
in Bolivia is from three to five dollars each ; but 
on account of the difficulty of transportation, they 
would be worth $75 each delivered in New York. 
