Ch. XLI.] ON PRODUCE. 517 



nient size; but we are of opinion that the pure Chinese should not be 

 adopted; for although delicate meat when very young, yet they have 

 such a tendency to fatten, that when only a few months old, their flesh is 

 anything but savoury, and, as they are to be consumed at different ages, 

 their qualities at the separate periods should be equally considered. The 

 litter should not be all fattened together at the same time, but should 

 be gradually brought into a fit state for consumption ; or, otherwise, the 

 greater portion of them must necessarily be pickled. 



Supposing, therefore, the entire litter to consist of nine — three being 

 killed as roasters, and the remaining six retained for porkers and bacon 

 hogs : four should then be weaned, and two kept along with the sow ; of 

 which one should be killed at about twelve, and the other at sixteen or 

 eighteen weeks old. Two of the pigs should, at the time of weaning, be shut 

 up together in a stye, and regularly fed three times a day with skimmed or 

 butter-milk, made lukewarm ; which, if abundantly supplied, will fatten 

 them sufficiently, without any addition of farinaceous food. If, however, 

 the milk be not sufficient, then pollard, and afterwards barley-meal mixed 

 up with warm water, must be given : we have, indeed, witnessed the effect 

 of porkers being reared for the market to a complete state of fatness, and 

 producing very fine meat, when fed upon boiled mangel-wurzel mixed with 

 pollard, and made up into a mash with warm water, and only a very small 

 portion of skim-milk. 



These two porkers may be separately killed at any time from six to 

 seven or eight months old ; and in this manner the family may be abun- 

 dantly supplied with fresh and pickled pork for domestic use throughout a 

 great portion of the year. The two remaining porkers which have been 

 kept as stores may be fed with steamed potatoes, kitchen, pea, and barley 

 wash, as already described, until they are ready to be fatted ; which may be 

 done when they are about twelve and eighteen months old : one being 

 killed in March, and the other not until October, as bacon-hogs. 



FATTING. 



We say March and October, as being the most usual seasons for slaugh- 

 tering, and allowing such a distance between the two periods as will insure 

 the having fresh cured bacon all the year round; but it mav be done at any 

 time during the winter, — pigs being never killed during the heat of summer ; 

 the same prejudice prevailing against the use of fresh pork as against that 

 of oysters in any month in the name of which there is not the letter R. 

 We have also said, that one of them may be fattened at twelve months old ; 

 but this, more for the sake of convenience than as admitting that the flesh 

 will be so fine as the one to be kejjt six months longer. 



It is true that hogs are very commonly fattened to great weights, and 

 killed at ages not exceeding eight or ten months, and the bacon, — particu- 

 larly if they be dairy-fed and of a good breed, — is generally streaked with fat 

 and lean, and much admired by those amateurs who only rarely eat it as a 

 luxury ; but it is not so firm and nutritive as those which are older. 

 Especially in regard to hams, we should say that the animal is not in his 

 prime until two years old ; and if kept a year longer the flesh will have a 

 still higher flavour. The fact is, that however delicate the pickled pork of 

 young pigs may be, yet the flesh, when converted into bacon, is deficient in 

 that substantial consistence of fat which constitutes its main value, and 

 which can only be acquired in perfection by age. The Chinese pigs, indeed, 

 arrive to nearly their full growth within a year ; but the Berkshire, and all 

 the large breeds, increase with good keeping, as much, or more, in size and 



