BOOK VII. IX. 1-3 



IX. In every kind of quadruped it is a male of the Pigs. 

 fine appearance which is the object of our careful 

 choice, because the offspring is more often like its 

 father than like its mother. So too, when it is a 

 question of pigs, those boars must meet with our 

 approval which are remarkable for their outstanding 

 bodily size in general, provided that they are square 

 rather than long or round, and which have a belly 

 which hangs down, huge haunches, but not corre- 

 spondingly long legs and hoofs, a long and glandulous 

 neck, and a snout which is short and snub ; also it is 

 especially important that they should be as lustful as 

 possible when they have sexual intercourse. They 2 

 are fit for breeding purposes from a year old until 

 they are four years old, though they can also impreg- 

 nate a sow at six months old. Breeding sows are 

 esteemed which are very long in shape, provided that 

 in their other limbs they resemble the description 

 which we have given of the boars. If the district is 

 cold and frosty, a herd should be selected with very 

 hard, dense, black bristles ; if it is temperate and 

 sunny, smooth pigs and even white ones such as are 

 kept by bakers " may be pastured there. A sow is 3 

 considered fit for breeding purposes until it is about 

 seven years old, but the more prolific it is the more 

 quickly it becomes old. It can quite well conceive 

 at a year old, but ought to be covered by the boar in 

 the month of February and, having been four months 

 with young, it should farrow in the fifth month, when 

 the grass is already of stronger growth, so that the 

 porkers may find the milk at the perfection of its full 

 strength and also, when they cease to be suckled at 



" It was customary for bakers to keep pigs and feed them 

 on the superfluous bran (Plant., Capt., 4. 2. 28). 



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