Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-03-22

4 correspondent in the Vermont Farmc
well says.
We know Of no domestic animal 80 posi-
lively neglected and even abused in its man
aer Of being kept and housed as the hog. Hc
is consigned to the worst possible place about
the premises, and often to the dark damr
basement Of barns and underground stables
where he is not permitted TO see the light Of
even a winters day, unless it be while he is
being fed, aud then in many cases the food is
hurriedly dumped into an apology Of a trough
containing dth, which is and perhaps has for
days been frozen full Of slops. lie is not
considered worthy Of being approached unless
il be to clean his filthy pen during a thaw
Now light is just as necessary for an ami
nal as for man. Look into dark cellar IN
early spring and see how a potato partially
covered with dirt is sproutng and stretching
its sickly vine toward some creyice n the wall
or to the window for CLEAN of light How
gladly it livens up into its native green as it
reaches the light Of the sun. Sec the amount
Of vitality it has exhausted in growing a vine
Of many feet in length before it has reached
or acquired It's mission, aud how unfit after
exhausting itself in such an effort it is to re.
plant for use. Its mission has been perverted,
its abortiye efforts have wasted its substance
ia the dark and dreary place SO unfit for its
support. And how truthful to its existence
has it been in crawling into its native light
into its legitimate sphere What lessons it
teaches. Yes, this one vine, so true to its be-
ing, is admonishing US in strong and positive
-, i
its natural instincts, that it is only confined
outside its native home, pointing to its better
destiny or use
SO the hog, in hearing the footsteps Of its
attendant, approaches the entrance to get a
CLEAN of light, and how glad it would be to
receive the sun and bathe itself in its genial
rays. How can it thrive, give a growth and
remunerative return to its owner, under such
treatment and positive mismanagement p
How can it carry and develope its young, con-
fined thus How can it give Framework and
vigor to its increase under such treatment ?
How can it grow healthy meat under such
lack Of air light and exercise
You are exacting too much for as low an
animal as a hog even, TO develope ITSELF and
its increase under such breeding Yes you
breeder Of stock and thus conGnc it in dark,
damp, ill.ventilatcd apartments, with nothing
but the ground or perhaps but horse manure
at best, or in warm weather wallowing in its
filth too dirty to be cleaned by reason of its
ofensiyeness This is breeding Yes,
breeding with a vengeance Breeding to your
own injury, reminding US of the adage that
curses like chickens come home to roost
Yes this treatment comes home to yourself
and family in the way Of diseased pork unfit
for use for the reason that it is raised and
grown in filth. Filth that poisons your own
blood and that Of your families You are
repaid in your own coin, with compound inter.
est too, and at large percentage at that.
Now, friend aud brother farmer you can.
not do a mean action without getting your
pay-not to one Of your family, nor to one of
your neighbors nor to one Of the lowest of
the human family; no not even to lower
animal, the hog, without getting your pay in
your own coin
Now please do to your hog as you would
do TO your horse. Give it light give it air,
give it a clean place to lie, give it place
to exercise, give it general cleanliness; aud be
assured that there is no animal that will give
you such remunerative returns
Then you will have pork to cat that has
not in its every pore an amount of filth and
scrofula, capable of tainting your whole sys-
tenn; then you will have good food or meat,
good strong pigs or stock to keep and to sell /;
stock that will do credit to yourself and to
generations following after you; race of
swine that will in their healthy and well
developed organizations virtually rise up
through their owners or coming ages and call
you man that has done some good in the
world, though it be even that Of breeder of
swine.