FARM ECHOES. 83 



pigs, and that I have never been able to make anything 

 but pigs out of them. Mr. Edward Burnet, of South- 

 borough, Mass., and others, have succeeded admirably 

 with these creatures. So much for their making a spe- 

 cialty of this branch of farming. 



There must be a certain amount of danger in keeping 

 such animals, if there be any truth in the story of the 

 Ehode Island pig that decided the destiny of this coun- 

 try by bringing about the war of 1812. It is said that a 

 pig broke through a defective fence of two neighbors in 

 Rhode Island. Angry words were followed by a lawsuit. 

 The defendant (the pig owner) called upon a lawyer 

 whom he had employed on previous occasions, and found 

 that he had already accepted a retainer from the other 

 party. His anger was thus kindled, and his influence 

 was successfully exerted in defeating the election of the 

 lawyer to the State Legislature. One vote decided the 

 election of a Senator to Congress. England's " Order 

 in Council " to seize and confiscate American vessels, and 

 forcibly take sailors from them, had stirred up a warlike 

 spirit at Washington, and an immediate declaration of 

 war was also carried by one vote. If this be really so, 

 and the vote of the Rhode Island Senator did precipitate 

 a war which would have been averted by a few weeks' 

 delay, the obnoxious "Order in Council" having been 

 revoked, but unknown to the authorities at Washington, 

 because of the absence of " cablegrams," then that pig 

 caused a decided commotion between this and the mother 

 country. Farmers who keep pigs must see to it that 

 their fences are in good condition. 



Let me add, before taking leave of my animals, a few 



