Ch. XLI.J 



THE PIGGERY. 



529 



They are in fact found to fatten more speedily, and consequently upon 

 less food, in those styes than in the common ones in which tliey can turn 

 about, Tliis is attributed to their quietude ; and it is said that hogs half 

 fat — weighing 70 lbs. — when put into one of these cages, may he brought 

 to double their weight witliin twenty-eight days*: they have been known, 

 when fed upon barley-meal and water, to increase at the rate of 15 lbs. per 

 week. 



On tin's subject a comparative experiment is recorded in the Sussex 

 Report to have been made by Lord Egremont upon some porkers, all of 

 one breed, and as nearly as possible of the same size — but not weighed ; 

 seven of which were put up to fatten on the 25lh of February upon barley- 

 meal, of which they had as much as they could eat, and another of the same 

 brood which had not been put to fatten, as being smaller than the others, 

 was put into a cage on the 4tii of March, at which time he weighed 11 st. 

 11 lbs. He was sulky for the first two days, and would eat nothing; but 

 he then came to his appetite, and from thence until the 13lh of April — 

 when they were all killed — he had just two bushels of barley-meal, with 

 about eight bushels of potatoes, and weighed, alive, 18 st. 3 lbs. When 

 slaughtered,"his dead-weight was 13 st. 2 lbs. — 8 lbs. to the stone — and none 

 of the other seven reached more than 12 st. 3 lbs. : thus showing that the 

 superiority evinced by the caged pig could only have arisen from the mode 

 adopted. 



DISEASES. 



The pig is by no means so untractable as generally represented ; for, if 

 used with kindness, he would be found as amenable as most other animals; 

 and much of his apparent indocility arises from the harsh treatment to 

 which he is exposed. Tiie accusation of liis inclination to filth is also 

 much exaggerated; for altliough he certainly rolls occasionally in the mire, 

 yet when in a state of nature, he breeds in marshy places, and he seeks the 

 mud rather for the sake of cooling liis skin tlian for the dirt — which is evi- 

 dent from the enjoyment which he manifestly displays when scrubbed and 

 washed; and if the operation be repeated every week, it will tend ma- 

 terially to keep him in perfect health. Although often seen wallowing 

 during the day in any ditch or slough which may be within his reach, yet 

 no animal loves a drier or a warmer bed to lie on ; his sty should, there- 

 fore, be kept very clean, and the straw, fern, haulm, or whatever else it 

 may be littered with, should be frequently removed. 



* See the Essex Report, vol. ii. pp. 343, 344. 



2 M 



