84 * THE HOG. 



scarcely be able to keep a roof over their heads, therefore, we%nay 

 with justice designate the hog " the poor man's friend." 



With the exception of the rabbit, swine are the most prolific of all 

 domesticated animals, and this is another argument in their favoi 

 Nor does its value cease with its life ; there is scarcely a portion of 

 the pig that is not available for some useful purpose. The flesh 

 takes the salt more kindly than that of any other animal, and, 

 whether dried as bacon, or salted down as pickled pork, forms an 

 excellent and nutritious food, exceedingly valuable for all kinds o! 

 stores. The fat, or lard is useful for numerous purposes the house- 

 wife, the apothecary, and the perfumer in particular, know how to 

 value it ; the head, the feet, and great part of the intestines, all are 

 esteemed as delicacies. Brawn, that far-famed domestic prepara- 

 tion which is evidently no recently invented dish, for at the mar- 

 riage of Henry IV., in 1403, and of Henry V. in 1419, we find, 

 among other records quoted by Strutt, that brawn and a kind of 

 hashed pork formed the staple dishes is made from the hog. The 

 bristles, too, are another important item in the matters furnished by 

 swine ; they are used by brushmakers, and are necessary to the 

 shoemaker, and some idea may be formed of the extent to which 

 they form an article of use and of commerce, when we state that in 

 the year 1828 alone, 1,748,921 Ibs. of hog's bristles were imported 

 into England, from Russia and Prussia. As these are only taken 

 from the top of the hog's back, each hog cannot be supposed to have 

 supplied more than 7680, which, reckoning each bristle to weigh two 

 grains, will be one pound. Thus, in Russia and Prussia in 1728, 

 1,748,921 hogs were killed to supply the consumption of bristles in 

 England. The skin is formed into pocket-books, employed in the 

 manufacture of saddles, and of various other things, and even the 

 ears are eaten in pies. 



It has been too much the custom to regard the hog as a stupid, 

 brutal, rapacious, and filthy animal, grovelling and disgusting in all 

 his habits ; intractable and obstinate in temper. But may not much 

 of these evil qualities be attributable to the life he leads 1 In a na- 

 tive state swine seem by no means destitute of natural affections ; 

 they are gregarious, assemble together in defence of each other, herd 

 together for warmth, and appear to have feelings in common ; no 

 mother is more tender of her young than the sow, or more resolute 

 in their defence. Besides, neglected as this animal has ever been 

 by authors, there are not wanting records of many anecdotes illus- 

 trative of their sagacity, tractability, and susceptibility of affection. 

 How often among the peasantry, where the hog is, in a manner of 

 speaking, one of the family, may this animal be seen following his 

 master from place to place, and grunting his recognition of his pro- 

 tectors. 



The well-authenticated account of the sow trained by Toomer, A 



