THE HOG. 423 



fed, they may be weaned, and in all cases in two months. 

 When they are separated from the dam, they should be re- 

 gularly fed three times in the day, and their food should at 

 first consist of whey, milk, or any refuse of the dairy or 

 kitchen, mixed with a little warm water, so as to be raised 

 to the temperature of the mother's milk. In a short time 

 they learn to partake of all edible substances that are pre- 

 sented to them, as potatoes, turnips, tares, lucerne. 



The females reserved for breeding are to be sufficiently fed, 

 and not over-fattened. The other pigs should receive from 

 the period of weaning, until they are fit for use, a full allow- 

 ance of such food as the means at our command will allow. 

 In this manner the animal arrives the soonest at its maturity 

 of flesh and fatness, and the younger it is when it arrives at 

 this state the more delicate is its flesh. Any kind of vege- 

 table or animal food may be given to pigs, in the course of 

 being reared and fattened, and it constitutes the peculiar 

 value of these animals that they can be maintained on almost 

 any kind of aliment. They will feed even on herbage, pas- 

 turing in the fields and commons ; but roots rather than her- 

 bage are their native food. Acorns, chestnuts, beech-mast, 

 hazel-nuts, and other esculent fruits, are eagerly consumed 

 by them ; and in countries of forests they may be convenienly 

 suffered to range in the woods, and find their own food. They 

 are fond of all fruits; and hence, in the countries of the grape, 

 the ravages which the Wild Hog commits: in the places where 

 cider is produced, they are fed on spoiled fruits, and on the 

 residue of the cider-mill ; in the countries of the olive, on 

 the refuse of the oil-press ; and generally, where the olea- 

 ginous plants are cultivated, on the refuse of the manufac- 

 ture. Hay or dried fodder is not adapted to these animals, 

 though, if chopped and boiled, they will not reject it. But 

 their proper vegetable forage is that which is moist and suc- 

 culent ; and hence they will feed on clovers, tares, lucerne, 

 sainfoin, succory, and the like. They feed eagerly on all 

 kinds of roots and tubers, as the turnip, the potato, the 



