INTRACTABILITY OF HOGS. 43 



and irritation produced by the state of confinement, and often filth, 

 in which she is kept, and the disturbances to which she is subjected, 

 than from any actual ferocity : for it is well known that a sow is 

 always unusually irritable at this period, snapping at all animals 

 that approach her. If she is gently treated, properly supplied with 

 sifstenance, and sequestered from all annoyance, there is little danger 

 of this ever happening." 



Roots and fruits are the natural food of the hog, in a wild as well as 

 in a domesticated state ; and it is evident that, however omnivorous 

 this animal may occasionally appear, its palate is by no means 

 insensible to the difference of eatables, for whenever it finds variety 

 it will be found to select the best with as much cleverness as other 

 quadrupeds. " In the peach-tree orchards of North America," says 

 Pennant, " where hogs have plenty of delicious food, they have been 

 observed to neglect the fruit that has lain a few hours upon the 

 ground, and patiently wait for a considerable time for a fresh 

 windfall." 



According to Linnaeus, the hog is more nice in the selection of his 

 vegetable diet than any of our other domesticated herbivorous 

 animals. This great naturalist states that 



The Cow eats 276 plants and rejects 218 



" Goat " 449 " 126 



" Sheep 387 " 141 



" Horse " 262 " 212 



but that the Hog only " 72 171 



They are gifted with an exquisite sense of smell as well as touch, 

 residing in the snout, and this enables them to discover roots, acorns, 

 earth-nuts, or other delicacies suitable to their palates, which may be 

 buried in the ground. 



In some parts of Italy swine are employed in hunting for truffles, 

 that grow some inches below the surface of the soil, and form those 

 pickles and sauces so highly esteemed by epicures. A pig is driven 

 into a field, and there suffered to pursue his own course. Wherever 

 he stops and begins to root with his nose, truffles will invariably be 

 found. 



The last charg'e which we shall endeavor to refute is that of in- 

 tractability. All tfie offences which swine commit are attributed to 

 an innately bad disposition ; whereas they too often arise solely 

 from bad management or total neglect. Would horses or cattle be- 

 have one iota better, were they treated as pigs too often are ? They 

 are legitimate objects for the sport of idle boys, hunted with dogs, 

 pelted with stones, often neglected and obliged to find a meal for 

 themselves, or wander about half-starved. Can we wonder that, 

 under such circumstances, they should be wild, unmanageable brutes ? 

 Look at tho swine in a well-regulated farm-yard they are as peace- 



