268 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY OF chap. Xm* 



either to kind, or to the mode of feeding, that 

 is shewn in many parts of England. 



The principal advantage attending the breed- 

 ing of swine arises from the cheapness of their 

 food. There are many articles upon which 

 they can live and thrive, nay, of which they are 

 extremely fond, but which would otherwise be 

 of little use, or at least could not be consumed 

 to such good purpose any other way ; such as 

 the grains of malt from the distilleries and brew- 

 eries, the refuse of the garden, the offals of the 

 kitchen and dairy, and most kinds of weeds and 

 rank foul grass which other animals will not 

 taste. 



When they are fattened for slaughter, the 

 usual method is to give them, for some weeks 

 before they are killed, boiled oats, or the meal 

 of oats or pease mixed with boiled potatoes, in- 

 creasing the proportion of meal, and lessening 

 that of the potatoes as the time of killing ar>- 

 proaches. In many instances, however, this at- 

 tention in feeding is not paid. Often they re- 

 ceive little else than potatoes additional to their 

 common food ; and even in this way are made 

 abundantly fat, though the pork may not be so 

 solid or well flavoured. 



They are killed at different ages, the greater 

 part, perhaps, at and below a year old : and they 

 are found of all different weights, from 6 to- 

 1 6 or 1 8 stones, 22 lib. averdupoise to the 

 stone. 



