PIGS. C3 



latter plan is, perhaps, the most humane. Some- 

 thing undoubtedly must be done, as it is a bad habit 

 that rapidly grows upon them, and they do much 

 mischief in no time, which it takes trouble and money 

 to repair. 



Buffon mentions that pigs root up the ground in 

 quest of earthworms as well as bulbs, and that the 

 wild boar has a stouter snout, whether from practice 

 or nature, than the domestic hog, and digs deeper in 

 a straight line ; whereas the tame sort goes at ran- 

 dom every way, being obviously less dependent on 

 his nasal apprehension. There should be always a 

 heap of cinders, or burnt clay, in the corner of the 

 stye, which you will see young and old routing about 

 and cracking like walnuts, on occasion. They enjoy 

 it much, and it does them good in many ways, cor- 

 recting acidity and conducing to their more rapid 

 fattening by the carbon they swallow. 



You must not expect too much, however, from a 

 willing horse. I mentioned the fact once to an old 

 gentleman of an economical turn who was delighted 

 by the acquisition to his receipt-book, and determined 

 to try it forthwith. Some weeks afterwards, meeting 

 at dinner, he reminded me somewhat reproachfully 

 of what I had recommended him to do, declaring that 

 he found the pigs had not only not come on at all, 

 but had rather gone back. On inquiry, I found 

 that he had cindered them with a vengeance, 

 having left them almost altogether to the resources 

 of the heap. This was simply ridiculous. You 

 might as well pen a gourmand on a bottle of 

 Chutny. 



