366 IMPORTATION OF PURE-BRED MERINO SHEEP.-ITEMS. and all the et ceteras on which their failures or successes depended. He further urged the immediate introduction of agriculture as a science into all our common schools, by stating that these are the institutions where the great body of American farmers are to receive their first and final education. wonder. For the encouragement of southern economists, who prefer purchasing in foreign markets, rather than manufacturing at home, we must note a piece of carpeting, of more than ninety yards in length, manufactured by Miss C. F. Peirson, of Richmond, in a style which a southern nabob might be proud to admire, while, at the same time, After the address, the reports of the Committees he might be prouder still that he is a native of a were read, which gave satisfactory assurances of republic where the persevering energy and discrimi- the increasing interest in agricultural advancement, nating taste of such women are allowed ample and of the flourishing condition of the county. scope for their operations. Then we saw on the The exercises at the Church closed, and the opposite end of the hall, a beautiful silk bed-quilt, Society, with their guests, returned to the Berkworked by Mrs. Lucy Gay, of the same place. We shire House, and partook of the excellent repast did not attempt in the hurry, and amid the excite- provided for the occasion; after which, they sepament of the occasion, to count the number of pieces rated, with much kind feeling, to their quiet homes, arranged in this rich and gay article, but were cre- rendered dearer by the late festival, to commence dibly informed that they numbered seven thousand anew their labors of preparation for another similar six hundred and ninety-two, all beautifully orna-scene. mented in roses. What a bed of flowers that must be, adorned with an article enriched by so much labor and fine taste! And what a dowry must the bride present to her husband who can bring such specimens of the labor and skill of her girlhood's sunny days. Then there were butter and cheese of the richest flavor, paintings of the highest finish, furniture of the most polished brightness-in short, almost everything calculated to " Variegate, adorn, W. BACON. Mount Osceola, Mass., Oct. 12th, 1846. IMPORTATION OF PURE-BRED MERINO SHEEP.Gentlemen desiring any information whatever in regard to the late importation of sheep, by Mr, Taintor, of Hartford, Connecticut, will please address the editor of this paper, as Mr. T. has no time to answer letters on this subject. The editor is also empowered to make sales of the male produce of this flock, deliverable next season. Females will not be for sale. Special attention is requested to And make the farmer's home delightful." There, too, we saw a card of finely-wrought hard-this paragraph by all interested in the matter. ware, from the manufactory of L. Pomeroy & Sons, of Pittsfield; a box of chemicals from Mr. Fish, of Salisbury, Conn.; and a model of Benson's new machine for raising water, all matters that indicate the growing prosperity of our country. THE LATE EPIDEMIC AMONG HORSES.-It is known to most of our readers, that a very fatal epidemic has prevailed extensively, the past season, in the country around this city, among horses. It seems to have confined its attacks almost exclu On the morning of the second day, the plowing match came off at eight o'clock. From five to sively to pastured horses. A medical friend, in seven thousand spectators attended to witness the whose opinions we have great confidence, and who feats of the occasion, and twenty-four teams, thir-has made some dissections, informs us that he conteen of horses and eleven of oxen, entered to compete for the prizes. The time for performing the labor was, in consequence of the dryness of the earth, and heat of the morning, lengthened to an hour, and the skill manifested showed itself worthy of Berkshire plowmen. siders the malady a malarious congestive fever, affecting specially the head. General bleeding has not been useful. The treatment from which most advantage appeared to be derived, consisted in the topical abstraction of blood from the head (that is, cold water to it, by means of cloths bound upon it; bleeding about one quart), and the application of and internally the use of calomel, about two drachms daily, till the horse recovers. The disease has now ceased. Should it return, our friend thinks that the best means of preventing its ravages, will be to confine the horses to stables, especially dur ing the night. At eleven o'clock, the Society moved in procession to the Congregational Church, to hear the report of awarding committees, and listen to the address of JOHN S. GOULD, Esq., of Stockport, N.Y. We would not anticipate the publication of Mr. Gould's address (for we hope it will be published entire, and go into the hands of every farmer in the land), but we cannot forbear saying that it was what the present state of agriculture promptly demands-sound, pointed, and practical. TRANSPLANTING TREES.-A correspondent in the He alluded to the exhausting system of husban- January number of the Agriculturist cautions gardry, which has depopulated some of the fairest por-deners against transplanting trees while the sap is tions of the earth That professional knowledge is in circulation, as it cannot be done without injuring necessary, and should be brought into continual them. How are ignorant cultivators to know when practice, to prevent a continuation of such calami-a tree is in a proper state? Are trees which lose ties. He conclusively showed, why so many fail- their leaves annually moved more safely in autumn ures arise from adopting what is called book-farm- or spring? What season is best for removing ing, and urged the importance of farmers keeping a evergreens in the Middle States? and why? strict account of their operations; and in giving their statements to the public, that they should be particular in describing soil, situation, locality, AN INQUIRER. For information on this subject "Inquirer" is referred to note on p. 224 of the current volume. BRITISH AND IRISH FLAX CULTURE. NO. 2. THE ALPACA.-No. 7. 367 BRITISH AND IRISH FLAX CULTURE.-No. 2. | heavy soil; but the inexperienced will find the Nature and Preparation of the Soil, Sowing, &c.most profitable crop to be that grown from six to The most suitable soil for flax is a deep loam, or eight pecks. Observe, if the drill is used, the rich haugh, on a moist bottom, where the pores are creases should be filled up with a bush; but if the not so close as in clay or till, and the strength of seed is sown broad-cast, fine light harrows must be the soil fully equal to the food which the plant re-used. An extra turn or two, therefore, with the quires. Clayey land seems to be of too close a harrows, the roll, and the scarifier, beyond the retexture for its tender roots, and binds too much to quirements for barley, will be sufficient. It will allow the fibres to expand themselves in quest of also be found that, where the soil has been well nourishment. A light sandy soil, on the other prepared and cleaned, the cost for weeding flax will hand, is too weak to bear a heavy crop, and is too be very trifling; because, when the land is rich, the much exhausted by it to render the lint crop a suf- plants spring up with astonishing rapidity, and ficient recompense for the chance of failure in the quickly overtop the small weeds. It is necessary, subsequent crops. On lands saturated either with however, to remove the larger, but much injury is underground or surface water, good flax cannot be often done in the attempt to eradicate the smaller. expected. As early in April as the weather will permit, is the better the crop. the best time for sowing; for the earlier sown, Do not await perfect dryness In those countries, in which the greatest quantity of flax is produced, the most favorite soil for this crop is on the banks of large and gentle-flowing in the soil, as the seed will vegetate more quickly rivers, which, by their flooding, have, in the course when the ground is somewhat moist. of ages, formed the richest and deepest mould. This may show us what is its native soil, and where it can be cultivated with the most profit. Preparing the Land, than which nothing can be more simple; for, if the field destined for flax has been plowed the full depth, previous to the frost, it will only be necessary to reduce the surface to a garden-like state, by harrowing, scarifying, and rolling; it being scarcely possible to render the land too fine. In order to ensure a first-rate crop, it will be necessary, during the above process, to sow six or eight bushels per acre of bone-dust, and about two cwt. of real guano, by which means they will be intimately mixed with the soil; or if bone-dust cannot be had, the guano might be increased to three or four cwt. per acre. But about eight loads of good farm-yard manure, well decomposed and mixed with mould, is much to be preferred. Where land is in a previously rich state, less manure will, of course, be required; but if it has only been slightly plowed, a repetition will be necessary, as well as of the scarifying, &c. Small pieces of grass and roots of weeds left by the harrows should be gathered up, and a light roll drawn over the land before. Sowing the Seed, in order that it may fall upon an even surface. Linseed is generally sown by hand; but this process is best performed by such machines as are used for grass seeds. Some prefer depositing the seed by a drill set at intervals of about seven inches; a practice I at first adopted, but now discontinue in favor of the broad-cast system, because the stalks will grow to a greater length, and be more equal in size; nor is my land infested with any noxious weeds to render hoeing necessary. Where the seed is sown by the hand, the machine or the drill, it must not be deposited deep. Half, or one inch, in damp weather, and one and a half in dry, ought not to be exceeded. If seed and coarse flax are the aim, six pecks an acre will be sufficient; but if fine flax and seed, eight, ten, or twelve pecks will be necessary. It will be found in general that the greatest quantity will produce the most valuable fibre, but the least seed. A sandy does not require so much seed as a Facts connected with the Flax Crop.-1st.-Under the improved system of husbandry, flax is not exhausting, but a highly restorative crop. 2d.-If sown primarily for the seed, the value of the crop is equal to the average value of wheat, barley, and oats. 3d. Under experienced management, in every department, the crop is worth more than wheat. 4th.-Flax will grow upon any soils that produce grain, and upon soils where grain will not grow at all. 5th. The plant will flourish after any crop, turnips excepted, and probably carrots or mangel wurtzel. 6th.-Flax has been grown upon my farm during the past six years in the following rotations, viz.: clover, stubble, flax, wheat, barley-wheat, flax, wheat, barley-wheat, barley, flax, barley-potatoes, flax, turnips, wheat-wheat, potatoes, flax, turnips the same year, barley-and so on, the improvement in each field being distinguishable. 7th. When wheat follows flax much less seed Domestication of Alpacas in Europe and in the United States-The further introduction and domestication of the alpaca in Great Britain and Ireland, has been diligently and ably investigated by Mr. Walton, from whose treatise we give the following condensed account: From In 1817, the late D. Bennet, Esq., of Farringdon House, Berks, received a pair of alpacas, and fed them, as he did his sheep, with hay and turnips in the winter. He found them hardy and healthy; and noticed that they required little care. this stock he reared fifteen, of which the greatest number he had in his possession at one time was eight. Generally the young ones passed into other hands. From Viscount Ingestre I was favored with the following, under the date of May 31st:-" In answer to the queries which you put to me, I beg to when the male alpaca became extremely jealous state, 1st, That the animals I imported were a pair and furious, and on several occasions leaped a wall of alpacas, and that I shipped them from Valparaiso five feet high, and broke through a dozen men, to in the latter end of the year 1825. 2dly, That they beat the male llama, which, being slightly the heastood the voyage remarkably well. 3dly, The vier of the two, he did, carrying his anger so far as female had, three or four times, one young one at a even to beat the young one when he could reach time. And 4thly, They were for some three or four him. Besides the alpacas and llamas above menyears at Earl Talbot's, at Ingestre, to whom I gave tioned, two years and a half ago I had another them, and who afterwards, I believe, made a pre- Peruvian animal, called the vicuña, generally consent of the whole stock to the Zoological Society in sidered to be of the same species. It is not, howRegent's Park. I will add that I had them shorn ever, so large, being about the size of a fallow-deer, once or twice, and had the wool spun, which made but infinitely more graceful and beautiful. This a cloth of the softest texture possible. I have no animal runs wild in Peru, and I could never tame doubt that they might be naturalized in this mine, although I received it when very young. It country," &c. was led out every morning to a small enclosed park. The wool of the vicuña exceeded in fineness any wool I have ever seen. I tried to have some of it manufactured into a shawl at Glasgow, but could not succeed, and at last I lost my packet of it in was so unfortunate as to lose this beautiful animal by a boy striking it on the heart with a stone, which caused instant death. It was a female; and what made me lament my loss the more, was the circumstance, that the poor creature was six months gone with young by the llama. My son a second time sent me eight alpacas, but they all died on their passage." The next person who seems to have taken a fancy to these animals, was Thomas Stevenson, Esq., of Oban, Argyleshire, who, under date of the 15th of last March, politely forwarded to me the annexed report:-"Fourteen years ago, a son of transmitting it from one manufacturer to another. I mine in Peru, shipped on board of a merchantman a dozen alpacas for me, with an understanding with the commander, that he was to receive for payment of freight one half of whatever number might arrive safe in England. The object of this arrangement was to induce the captain to take greater care of them than he otherwise would do; yet of the dozen only four reached Liverpool, and of course I only got two, a male and female, which were To subsequent inquiries, Mr. Stevenson, under about a year and nine months old when they reach-date of March 30th, furnished me with the followed Oban. Although I had been long in South ing additional particulars :-" The grounds upon America, I had never seen an alpaca, and was which I fed my alpacas and llamas were of different therefore ignorant of the proper mode of treating descriptions, being partly hill and partly plain, and them; so I fed them in the same way as we do they seemed to agree equally well with them. In Highland cattle, and found it to answer remarkably my former letter, I forgot to state that, during the well, in so far as their health and growth were concerned. They were driven out with my milch cows to pasture, summer and winter. During the night they got a little hay or straw; and, in winter, when snow covered the ground, a little grain in the sheaf was placed before them. They were fond of all vegetables and shrubs; particularly so of hedges and the tops of young trees. I never weighed them; but I should think they would have weighed from eleven to twelve stones, of sixteen pounds to the stone. The male was very strong, and I have seen him canter easily with a stout man on his back. Their wool was very fine; but I made no use of it further than manufacturing some of it into stockings for my family. I am sorry to say that they never bred. warm months of June, July, and August, my alpacas and llamas were left in the fields all night. The total number of births I had was, I think, eleven. Of these, six came to their full growth, one was killed by accident, and four died when a few days old. The greatest care is required to be taken of them till they are two or three weeks old, after which there is no fear of them. The mothers are very fond of their young, and take great care of them, spitting at any one who comes near them. I did not try to cross the alpaca and llama; indeed, 1 never thought of it. I regret to hear that you find so much difficulty in awakening the attention of farmers to this subject. I have just had a letter from Lady -, making inquiries for a friend in Germany; and I should not wonder if the Germans do not forestall us in the acquisition of alpacas. I have heard from my son in Peru, that he has lately, on two occasions, shipped for me four alpacas, but they all died on the voyage. I think the way you propose bringing them over will be a great improvement." "A year afterwards, my son shipped a dozen llamas for me; but I only got a pair, eight having died during the voyage, and the commander of the vessel reserved the other two for himself. My two received the very same treatment as I had observed towards the alpacas; and, when two years old, the female had a young one, and continued to have one From the same party, under date of the 10th of regularly every year, about the month of April. April, I was favored with the following:-" I have She went a year with young. Of the offspring delayed until now, acknowledging the receipt of about one half lived; of which, the females began your last esteemed favor, in order that, before doing to bear when two years old. I sold my young so, I might have an opportunity of carefully readstock to various persons; and two years ago, finding your very interesting work on the naturalization ing that I had only one female left, and that the old of the alpaca. I have indeed had much pleasure in one, I sold my whole stock, which consisted of perusing it, and I only wonder it has not been the five, having five years previously sold my alpacas. means of causing farmers to take a greater interest "The alpacas and llamas lived very quietly to- in the matter than they at present seem to do. gether until the latter had their first young one, "At page 14 of your book, you say that the THE ALPACA.-NO. 7. llama goes seven months with young. I may mention, that those I had went between eleven and twelve months. The female was invariably covered by the male two or three days after she had a lamb, and, from the singularity of this circumstance, it attracted my very particular attention, and I regularly marked down the date on which the female was covered, and found that she went with lamb a very few days less than a year. I may add, that I have in my possession a stone representation of a llama at rest, as you mention in p. 16, which was taken out of an Indian grave in Peru. I may also state, that I have two grandsons with me from Tacna, who remember having often seen the dried flesh of the llama. They agree with you in saying, that the Indians are very fond of eating it." By Robert Gill, Esq., I was favored with the subjoined, dated Manchester, April 15th :-" It is quite true that I was one of the first who possessed the llama and alpaca. I also succeeded in breeding them, I think, to the extent of three; but, as I have no memoranda, I can only say from memory. I also possessed two vicuñas, but was not successful in breeding from them; nor have I heard that any one here succeeded in breeding them. In consequence of changing my residence about five years ago, I parted with the few animals of this class which I then possessed. I am glad to find you are taking up so interesting a subject. I had not heard of your work; but shall have much pleasure in reading it, as well as the forthcoming one. Should you succeed in adding to the number of our domestic animals, you will deserve the thanks of the country at large. Much remains to be done both in quadrupeds and the feathered race." Joseph Hegan, Esq., of Liverpool, after stating that he was the person who presented to the Earl of Derby the first alpacas his lordship had, about five years ago, under date of April 20th, writes thus: For two years I lived at Arrow Hall, Cheshire, and while there had three or four of these animals. The survivor of these, with the progeny of one female, have been for the last two years on a farm in Ireland, belonging to Mr. W. Danson of this town, and I really know nothing of them. The manager of the farm is Mr. Bell, of Gainsboro', near Listowel. I am sure he will readily give you all the information in his power; and he has now had a fair opportunity of ascertaining the habits of the animal, from its birth onwards. Those under the charge of Mr. Bell are the pure breed-unmixed alpacas." Charles Tayleure, Esq., of Parkfield, near Liverpool, in a note, dated April 11th, speaks thus: "In reply to your inquiries, I beg to say, that my memory is not sufficiently good to enable me to state in what year I imported the first alpacas and vicuñas. I recollect that there were a pair of each, and that the alpacas had a young one, the others none. I had the misfortune to have one of the vicuñas killed by a dog; and in consequence of some subsequent importations of alpacas being diseased, and the disease spreading to the others, I put them under the charge of a shepherd in the neighborhood, who, by administering too strong medicines, killed the greater part of them. This tended to disgust me; and, not long after, the only two alpacas that I had left I gave to Lord Derby. On a 369 really mountainous country I consider that they would do well. Cold does not affect them, but diet does.” From Henry Lees Edwards, Esq., of Pyenest, near Halifax, under date April 6th, I received the annexed:-" In reply to your inquiries I beg to state, that in 1839 I imported from Valparaiso six alpacas and two vicuñas. In 1841, of six alpacas shipped for me, only two arrived safe, and in the same year I purchased three in Liverpool, making a total of eleven alpacas and two vicuñas. Of the former, eight have died, leaving my present stock three alpacas and two vicuñas. From the latter I have had no lambs, but from eight alpacas in field, I had eight lambs, chiefly premature births, only two of which lived to twelve months, and them I have also lost. These animals have been much subject to scab, which is difficult to remove from them, and mine were seldom free. They were kept in a good grass field on the side of a hill, a dry pasture, but not short grass like the hill tops. In the beginning they had a good deal of hard foodoats, beans, &c., besides grass and hay-but when they died so rapidly, I discontinued hard food, and now only give them grass, hay, and vegetables." The Earl of Derby's being mixed up with the alpaca question, seems to have been purely accidental. Pursuing that refined taste for rare objects of natural history which has always distinguished his lordship, he made the acquisition of a few llamas, and added them to his splendid menagerie at Knowsley. There they were seen by Mr. Hegan, who happened to mention that he had some alpacas on his property, in Cheshire, of which two were eventually transferred to his lordship, who subsequently obtained as many more from Mr. Tayleure, of Liverpool. Treating both varieties as mere curiosities, and seemingly never intending to use the preferable one as farm stock, his lordship allowed them to cross, and the result was births in the ordinary course. Both llamas and alpacas kept separately, also bred almost every year; but, besides these, his lordship procured a pair of guanacos, such at least they were called by the seller, although am inclined to think most erroneously. I Understanding that the illustrious consort of our patriotic Queen had so far identified himself with the fortunes of the British farmer as to purchase a pair of alpacas, with the intention of allowing them the range of his grounds, I addressed a note to G. E. Anson, Esq., his royal highness's treasurer, and, under date of March 5th, was honored with a reply in these words:- It is true that there are two alpacas at Windsor, but, as yet, no use has been made of them." I have since received a sample of black wool, clipped from the Prince's male alpaca, and full ten inches long. In quality it is much superior to the imported, being exceed ingly soft and moist to the touch-a proof that the fibres contain more yolk, or, in other words, the animal has drawn more appropriate nourishment from our pastures than it could on the Peruvian here. Their clip of last year amounted to 17 lbs., mountains. The wool of the female is shorter, but which are beautiful silky fleeces, and which said equally fine and lustrous. silky wool is still in my possession." Under date of May 31st, I was favored with the annexed from A. G. Stirling, Esq., of Craigbarnet Place, Lennoxtown, near Glasgow:-"I received your letter concerning the alpaca, &c. It had for several years been my wish to procure a couple of these animals from their native mountains; but, after various attempts, I found I could not succeed. Latterly, however, I was fortunate enough to obtain a male and female from the Earl of Derby's stock, which were sent here about the latter end of last August. My motive was-first, that, considering the great altitude at which alpacas live at home, and the sort of food they subsist upon, I thought that our hilly bent in Scotland, which neither sheep, cow, nor horse, will eat, might prove well adapted for them, taking into account the coarser herbage upon which they thrive; secondly, I wished to keep these Peruvians in my sheep-park with the sheep, in front of the house, so that I might be enabled to form an opinion of their habits, &c. The introduction of the alpaca into the mountains of Ireland is a new and important feature in the experiment. The attempt was first made by Robt. Bell, Esq., of Villa House, near Listowel, in the county of Kerry, a practical and observant farmer, who seems to have started with the determination of treating the animals, as nearly as he could, with the same fare, and, in the same manner, as they are on their native hills-that is, no petting, and plenty of exposure. This is by far the most judicious plan, and it is to be regretted that it has not been adopted earlier. Subjoined is an extract from a report addressed to me by that gentleman, under date of March 18th : 66 Agreeably to your request, I have much pleasure in giving you a brief statement relative to the small herd of alpacas which we have here. These beautiful and interesting animals arrived at this place in the summer of 1842, previous to which, after being landed at Liverpool from their native mountains in Peru, they were kept in that neighNow, sir, from ten months' observation, I am borbood for some time. They are the only animals enabled to state, that I have found them most docile, of this kind ever introduced into this country, and mild in temper, and never attempting to break a have been admired by numbers of persons, many of fence, and agreeing perfectly well with the sheep whom came very long distances to see them. Of and young lambs. During our last winter, which course, it is quite unnecessary to give you a was more severe than usual in this country, with description of these graceful creatures; for any one many vicissitudes as to climate, and attended with who has perused your publication on the Naturaliweeks of deep snow, I thought it necessary to com-zation of the Alpaca, and has seen and observed the mence giving them some food, and began with rye-grass hay and turnip. After some little time, the keeper told me that they were not eating the rye-grass hay so well as at first. I then desired that a coarser kind of meadow hay should be given to them. This they greedily ate, and left the other. They next seemed to tire of the turnip, and I ordered each of them to have a handful of oats, which they ate freely of at first. However, in about three weeks, they also became indifferent to the oats. A handful of beans was next tried; they fell to them most greedily, and never lost their relish for them. By way of experiment, I desired the keeper to mix the oats and beans together; and, as a proof of their partiality for the beans, it may be stated, that they picked the latter out, and left the oats; which, if they are to be winter-fed, evinces that meadow hay and beans is the food they like, and would thrive upon. habits of the animal in question, will readily perceive how thoroughly you are acquainted with the subject of your work in its minutest details; but 1 may inform you, that the alpacas on this farm are of various colors, some being brown, others black, and one perfectly white. They have not been shorn since the month of June, 1841, and the average length of their wool at this time is eleven inches, and so firm to their bodies, that the smallest lock cannot be pulled off without great force; therefore, they never lose a bit. It is exceedingly fine and silky; indeed, very much finer than any alpaca wool I have yet seen imported into England; and, during the two years they have been here, there is a visible improvement in the texture of their coat, and I think that the wool of the alpaca lamb here is superior in fineness even to that of the vicuña I have frequently examined them very closely, but could never find upon them a wool-tick, or any vermin whatever, to which ordinary sheep are subject; and I was very much afraid, during the exceedingly hot weather which we had last summer, that, from their great weight of fleece, they would be attacked by the fly; but I am glad to say that no such casualty befell them, although sheep, contiguous to their pasture, were much injured by it. I have never, even after a whole day's rain, found them wet to the skin; for their wool, on becoming wet on the outside or surface, mats together, and becomes quite impervious to the heaviest showers. I certainly do not exaggerate when I say, that each of the old alpacas here would clip at this time upwards of thirty pounds of wool." "A small shed had been put up in the park for them, to which they generally resorted at night; but, when the snow was at the deepest, and the wind blowing hard and piercing, these animals left their shed, and picked up what grass they could get at the roots of trees. This shows that they are impervious to cold. Not so the sheep, for they were then cowering down under shelter, wherever they could find it; which proves to me that our climate would agree well with alpacas, and that they would exist where our sheep would die. We hope that the female is with young, which time will show. Both male and feinale are jet black, and there is a small speck of white, about the size of a shilling, upon the nose of the male. In so far The introduction of the Peruvian sheep into the as my experience goes, I can safely say that they United States was strenuously recommended by have never had a day's illness since they came' Mr. Wm. D. Robinson, as long ago as 1824. He |