Other Countries of Latin Of the Latin-American countries, there are none that do not produce some wool, many in large quantities, and some a product of a special quality, this latter being particularly true of Peru, Bolivia and Chile, where, in the Andes region, the alpaca, vicuña and llama thrive. In the supplement to • Commerce Reports of 18 April 1917, the United States Minister at La Paz says: (Throughout the arid region that lies between the two Cordilleras a species of bunch grass grows which is capable of resisting the -rigors of winter and which provides abundant pasture for sheep and other wool-bearing animals. Experiments conducted under gov ernment supervision seem to indicate that the alpaca is better suited to live in the highlands than is the sheep or any other wool-bearing animal. The government of Bolivia is making a special effort to stimulate the industry, and the production of alpaca wool is attaining con siderable importance in the country." (Samples of alpaca and llama wool, raw and woven into native fabrics, may be seen at the Bolivian Con sulate-General at New York).
Four animals closely related to the camel of Africa and Asia inhabit the Andean high lands. Of these the vicuna and guanaco are wild and hold no important position as a source of wealth. The skin of these animals is covered with a coat of soft hair and has value as a fur. Efforts to prevent their ex termination, however, are of little effect in a country so sparsely settled and so difficult to police, and the fear is that they may eventually disappear altogether. The alpaca and the llama are domesticated . . . The alpaca, al though closely related to the llama, with which it interbreeds freely, differs . . . in the char acter of its wool. Tile wool of the alpaca is generally black or white; occasionally, however, brown or spotted ones are found. It is cus tomary to shear the alpaca every second year, but it has been found that the wool continues to grow for a longer period and that it would be profitable to shear them only every third year. The present yield averages about 10 to
15 pounds every second year . . . Among the wools alpaca is superior because of its re markable strength, its flexibility, and the fine ness of its texture . . . The production is lim ited entirely to the Andean highlands of Peru and Bolivia.
Peru, in addition to her production of alpaca and llama wool, has large domestic sheep interests. The exports of alpaca wool in 1913 amounted to $1,573,670; 1914, $1,538,427; and 1916, $1,696,213. Of llama wool, the exports in 1913 amounted to $141,493; 1914 $90,477; and 1915, $144,152. Domestic wool, 797,868; 1914, $841,165; and 1915, $1,066,844. Exports to the United States in 1915 (fiscal year ending 30 June) amounted to 819,347 pounds, valued at $192,284; and 1916, 2,426,279 pounds, valued at $669,174.
Colombia, although using a considerable quantity of wool in domestic manufacture, also produces some for export. The quantity sent to the United States in 1915 amounted to 915 pounds, valued at $218. No shipments were made in 1916. Paraguay also produces wool for export, the quantity sold abroad in 1914 being 93,634 pounds; and 1915, 129,127 pounds. Of this latter, 24,651 pounds were shipped to the United States, the remainder to Argentina, Uruguay, Italy and France. As to Venezuela, no figures regarding wool production are avail able. Of the northern group of Latin-American states, Mexico is the greatest grower of wool. In normal times it is an important industry. Even during the recent troubled perod, her ex ports to the United States amounted in 1914 (fiscal year ending 30 June) to 849,991 pounds, valued at $108,004; 1915, 1,154,626 pounds, value at $134,863; and 1916, 1,321,213 pounds, valued at $170,518. Of the remainder of the group, the only states exporting to the United States during 1916 (fiscal year ending 30 June) were Costa Rica, 19,574 pounds, valued at $8,935; Guatemala, 572 pounds, valued at $257; and Panama, 200 pounds, valued at $50.