202 CASTRATION THE HOG. 



Thus far it is plain, that the deprivation of masculine vigour 

 puts a stop to the growth of those parts or appendages that are 

 looked upon as its insignia. But the ingenious Mr Lisle, in 

 his book on husbandry, carries it much farther ; for he says, 

 that the loss of those insignia alone has sometimes a strange 

 effect on the ability itself. He had a boar so fierce and 

 venereous that, to prevent mischief, orders were given for his 

 tusks to be broken off. No sooner had the beast suffered this 

 injury than his powers forsook him, and he neglected those 

 females to whom before he was passionately attached, and 

 from whom no fences could restrain him. 



LETTER LXXV. 



TO THE HON. DAINES HARRINGTON. 



THE natural term of a hog's life is little known, and the 

 reason is plain, because it is neither'profitable nor convenient 

 to keep that turbulent animal to the full extent of its time ; 

 however, my neighbour, a man of substance, who had no 

 occasion to study every little advantage to a nicety, kept a 

 half-bred Bantam sow, who was as thick as she was long, and 

 whose belly swept on the ground, till she was advanced to her 

 seventeenth year ; at which period, she shewed some tokens of 

 age by the decay of her teeth, and the decline of her fertility. 



For about ten years, this prolific mother produced two 

 litters in the year, of about ten at a time, and once above 

 twenty at a litter ; but, as there were near double the number 

 of pigs to that of teats, many died. From long experience 

 in the world, this female was grown very sagacious and artful. 

 When she found occasion to converse with a boar, she used to 

 open all the intervening gates, and march, by herself, up to a 

 distant farm where one was kept, and when her purpose was 

 served, would return by the same means. At the age of about 

 fifteen, her litters began to be reduced to four or five ; and 

 such a litter she exhibited when in her fatting-pen. She 

 proved, when fat, good bacon, juicy, and tender ; the rind, or 

 sward, was remarkably thin. At a moderate computation, 

 she was allowed to have been the fruitful parent of three 



proved unavailing, and they were forced to shoot him. The only reason 

 could.be assigned for such ferocity was, that he had been castrated by 

 this man some time before, which the animal seems to have remembered. 

 ED. 



