A PIG'S FAT SAVES ITS LIFE. 79 



By domesticating the pig, and keeping it in 

 confinement, and only breeding from those sows 

 that look like producing small bones and much 

 flesh, man has considerably improved on the wild 

 pig for fattening and eating. 



But man did not create the inclination on the 

 part of a pig to put on flesh in a short space 

 of time. It was necessary for a pig, when in its 

 wild state, in order to preserve its life, to put 

 on flesh quickly. 



This may seem strange reading to you. What, 

 you may say, a pig's fat preserves its life how 

 can that be ? I should have thought the very 

 reverse is the case, that a pig's fat would en- 

 danger its life. 



But just try to picture a wild pig's life. 



By grubbing for roots with his powerful snout 

 he, probably, during the spring and early sum- 

 mer, got a spare living. By very hard work 

 he just got sufficient food to keep himself warm, 

 keep up his strength, and keep himself alive ; 

 just sufficient food, in fact, to take off the edge 

 of his hunger. He, probably, during the spring 

 and early summer never could obtain sufficient 

 food to give him a good square meal that would 

 satisfy his appetite. Therefore he had no chance 

 of putting on fat. 



But the late summer and autumn come round, 

 and then the pig's harvest is at hand. The 



