INTRODUCTION. xly 
In the diftri@ of the Wiltthire flock another incident 
occurred, which gave rife to fome enquiry and reflection. 
In an oat ftubble (for fo early as the 3d of Auguft of this 
year, many oat and barley, as well as wheat, ftubbles were 
to. be feen) a large number of {wine, chiefly breeding-fows 
and litters of half-grown pigs, appeared; they were kept by 
two little fwineherds. Curiofity was excited to clofe in- 
fpeCtion. ‘The ftock belonged to a neighbouring gentleman, 
who, it feemed, had chofen this branch of breeding and 
fattening. The number, which was pretty large, afforded 
a confiderable variety of kind and fhape. A more hetero- 
geneous mixture will be feldom feen in a breeder’s pofleffion. 
The variety was moft remarkable among the fows. The 
principal boar was a mixture from the Chinefe breed—~ 
handfome in the body and limbs, but unnaturally long and 
coarfe in the head. On the whole, he feemed to have 
greatly fuffered in fhape from injudicious admixture. “The 
offspring generally partook of his figure, in the leaft agree- 
able particularities, Ufeful as this kind of animal is to this 
country, and moft others, in different parts of the world, 
perhaps none has received in England lefs critical attention 
“from profeffed breeders. The lefs reafon can be affigned 
for this negle&t, becaufe no animal may be confidered as 
having fewer points of profit attaching to it, beyond the 
fpeedy yrowth and maturity of the carcafe. The covering 
of coat and fkin are chiefly of very fmall confequence to 
manufactures. The quantity or coarfenefs of bone and 
offal are objeéts which will be deemed of no lefs confe- 
quence than in other animals; at leaft in proportion to the 
general value. Hence it fhould feem, that a: very fimple 
procefs of reafoning would fix the perfection of this animal 
tothe quicknefs of its growth to maturity, and its greateft 
_ Proportion of the moft valuable parts of the carcafe. And 
thefe 
