Q 



16 



This disease can hardly be considered local, though the " blind 

 staggers " in years gone by, has been known to prevail in 

 some localities near at least one of these ponds among a class 

 of animals, who assume to be of a higher rank, but who occa- 

 sionally pollute these beautiful regions by a resort to them for 

 purposes of dissipation ; but a simple and perfect preventive is 

 at last found for this disease, (so much more humiliating and 

 dreadful in its effects on them,) if they can be induced to take 

 it, in " total abstinence." 



Mr Pierce's hogs are purchased ; he raises none. He buys 

 them at a weight of 100 to 150 lbs. Their average weight 

 when killed, is from 250 to 300 lbs. He has a killing twice a 

 year, though many of his hogs are kept a year. The supply 

 of refuse from the city, is sufficient, excepting at certain sea- 

 sons of the year, when some meal and corn are given. They 

 fatten in the yard without extra feed, excepting as above. At 

 killing, the skins (that is the small entrails) are sold at 10 cents 

 a set ; the harslet at 8 cents ; which pay fully the expenses of 

 dressing. The remainder is cooked for the swine, after saving 

 and selling what can be used by the soap maker. The man- 

 ure made in their beds where they are littered, is sold readily 

 at four dollars per cord and in quick demand. The average 

 sales of manure are not less than one thousand dollars. 



In the enclosure there are extensive plank platforms on 

 which the garbage is spread when brought from the city. 

 The right of cleaning the tables, after the hogs have filled 

 themselves, is purchased by several neighboring farmers at 

 '^2 50 per day. Much of the refuse thus obtained is spread upon 

 their grass lands, or ploughed in on their cultivated grounds, 

 or placed round their apple trees, and in every case with the 

 greatest advantage. If not used immediately it is put into a 

 compost heap and covered with mould. Some farmers who 

 obtain it use much of it for feeding their own swine. One 

 farmer stated to me that he had purchased the right of obtain- 

 ing it two days in a week. He kept the last year fourteen 

 hogs entirely upon these gleanings. The gain upon these hogs 



