THE PIG. 211 



exercised by men in enhancing this one quality 

 in the domestic breeds both in America and 

 Europe, and to an even greater extent in the far 

 East. Indeed we are indebted to the ingenious 

 Chinaman for the delicate flavour of our pork in 

 nearly as great a degree as for our tea and China 

 teacups. If any of my readers require an au- 

 thoritative account of how, why, and when the 

 Chinese began to cook pork, I must refer them 

 to Charges Lamb's " Dissertation on Roast Pig." 

 This still holds the field, in spite of " recent 

 advances in science and literature," as undoubt- 

 edly the most masterly monograph on the subject 

 which has ever been penned. At any rate, 1 have 

 never heard that the statement there put forward 

 as to the oriein of " cracklina: " has ever been 

 seriously controverted. 



The wild boar of Europe is an uncouth and 

 scraggy giant when compared with our domestic 

 swine. He would need a vast deal of civilising 

 before his gaunt and sinewy frame could be 

 cushioned over with the thickness and quality of 

 adipose tissue which is deemed orthodox in his 

 ' kinsman whose mission it is to die for humanity. 

 Very many years ago breeders found that the 

 European pigs were much improved by being 



