SWINE. 263 



with beef, which no handling will now draw from us." This 

 is the voice of nature, which must never be disobeyed under 

 pain of punishment. With a climate and soil well suited to 

 sheep, in which we are told that they are subject to fewer 

 diseases than elsewhere, nowhere are they more neglected ! 

 They may be raised with profit for the shambles, without 

 regard to their wool. Farmers who keep them declare that 

 sheep are the source of their greatest profit. But we are 

 slothful husbandmen in this vineyard. If this neglect is owing 

 to the ravages of the canine race, it is mortifying to admit that 

 we are all ruled by the dogs. Shall our pasture lands go with 

 us " to the dogs"? It is in the power of the farmers of Massa- 

 chusetts to say that no dog shall go at large under pain of 

 death. They have to say the word, and it will be done. 



SWINE. 



ESSEX. 



From the Report of the Committee on Swine. 



A great change seems to have taken place in regard to raising 

 pork. Formerly almost every farmer raised more or less for 

 the market. Large quantities of potatoes were raised, which 

 grew almost spontaneously,) and cooked over the kitchen fire 

 in the long winter evenings, or early in the morning, mashed 

 up and mixed with meal, which made a palatable, and, as was 

 then considered, a profitable fare. The time, however, soon 

 arrived when the old fashioned fire-place was closed up, and the 

 cast-iron fire frame or stove took its place ; consequently kettles 

 were set in some convenient place to cook the potatoes. Now 

 the potato crop has failed and become unprofitable to feed to 

 swine, (except the refuse ones,) and consequently the grain 

 crop must be almost wholly depended on to make pork for the 

 market. Salt pork is now brought in large quantities from the 

 West to supply our market, and in cool weather fresh pork, and 

 also live hogs are brought and slaughtered in the vicinity of our 

 large markets to supply them with fresh provision. The 

 question, therefore, now arises, whether pork can be profitably 



