56 
EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
metry — so good were they both that they each obtained prizes; 
but in our opinion the second ought to have been third, and the 
third second. Symmetry with moderate fatness will outweigh 
coarse fatness, as it is not always that carcass weight is made up 
by size, but by firmness of texture. In the other instance, in the 
pigs, we were particularly struck with the importance of attention 
being directed to the quality of the flesh as well as to the size, 
shape, or early maturity of fatting. In the pig this is of essential 
importance, as the fat of this animal, unlike others, in general is 
entirely consumed as food. In the true bacon or pork districts 
this is a fact thoroughly understood, not only as being dependent 
upon the nature of the food on which they have been fed, but also 
on the peculiarity of the breed itself ; and thus, if the progeny of 
any particular sow, breed, or even individual, is found to have this 
bad quality, it is not continued to be propagated from. This quality 
is best seen and demonstrable in the boiling or cooking : if it pos- 
sess the proper firmness, it is said to “ plim” or “ plump” in the 
pot ; that is to say, it increases in size, and the fatty parts are but 
little dissolved by the water : such pork or bacon is highly nutri- 
tious, has not any oily or greasy taste : the other kind shrinks in 
boiling, the fat boils out, the taste is oily or greasy, and, instead 
of affording nourishment, is more apt to derange the digestive or- 
gans. As lovers of fat bacon, and, indeed, of fat meats in general, 
we have paid much attention to this subject, and have tested so 
many varieties, that we may speak with confidence on this topic; 
and we may, perhaps, be tempted some day to give our experience 
to the public. We have been more particularly led to this train of 
thought from observing animals in two adjoining pens, each splen- 
did specimens of the porcine genus; the one a pen of the “ Coles- 
hill” breed, the other a pen of “ improved Berkshire.” The first 
received no less than three prizes ; the other was “ commended ;” 
but to our ideas the second ought to have had the preference over 
and over again : they were the youngest by more than nine weeks, 
and were what we should call the ne plus ultra of bacon hogs. 
Let your hunters of the “Praries” talk of their “buffaloe’s hump,” 
or your African sportsmen speak of a “ roasted elephant’s foot,” 
even though it may be cooked Caffre fashion, yet we would wager 
not a trifle that one mouthful of our “ improved Berkshire” would 
