The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-04-26
A Plea for the Hog.

II il natural that the agitation of the
Hog Ordinance question by The COMET
should create an excitement in this
country, but we did not look for this
excitement to reach across the Atlantic
ocean. However, when Comet ap-
pears in the armament there is hardly
any part of the earth's surface where
its rays do not penetrate. But the
"Sanitary Record" OF England has mis-
construed our meaning when it con-
siders that it must come to the relief Of
tho Pig on account of the supposed
hostility of The COMET. For the salts
faction of the Sanitary Record we will
state again that our position on the
Hog is not one of hostility to him. 1t
is pure friendship to the Hog that
prompts us to advocate his removal
and settlement in tho country.
From the English Similarly Rccord,l
THE HABITS OF THE PIG.
persual of some recent local reports, in
which that despised animal, the pig, has in
finite abuse and contumely heaped upon
him, as a quadruped of the most vicious
and degraded propensities, induces us to say
n word or two in favor of the much-ma-
ligned porker, and to ask that he, as well
az animals of better repute, may have
fair play. The fact is that the pig has
bad name as an unclean animal, whose hab~
its are essential and naturally filthy, and
who will feed on disgusting food, from
which other animals will turn away. He is
thus left to reveal in the refuse that he is
supposed to prefer, and for the most part
no pains are taken to teach him better.
little knowledge of his instincts will, how
ever, show that, SO far from the pig being
naturally an unclean animal, he is naturally
the reverse and this view is strongly borne
out by DIR. Ballard in a report which he
some time ago presented to the local Gov
eminent Board on the 'Etliuvium Nui
sances Arising in Connection with the
Keeping of Animals" "When the pig
wallows in mire," says Dr. Ballard she
merely follows an instinct implanted in
him. in common with some other pachyder-
cutaneous cleansing The mud stands to
him in the relation of soap to human be-
ing, but instead of washing it off with wa
ter, he allows it to cake and dry upon the
skin, and then rubs it all off, mud and
cutaneous debris together, upon some suf-
ficiently rough surface. Loose hair and
cutaneous scurf irritate him, and he takes
his own way of cleansing his skin from
them. Cleanse his skin for him, and he
will rest in contemptment, without offend
ing the eyes of his supercilious betters,
often less scrupulous in this matter than he |
is, by his wallowipgs, scratchings, and
scrubbings. 1t has long been known that |
4 pig thus cleaned with soap and water not |
only becomes less Objectionable, but grows |
lat more speedily than if left to clean him
,elf in his own way. Similarly as respects
lis food. Garbage is not the food that the
zig selects by preference. In fact, a pig
which has been fed for any time upon
weet food will turn away from sour and
disgusting food. If left to pick up his
living where he can find it, he will eat any
hing that lie can find that is eatable, but
ven then will eat acorns, fallen fruit or
cots in preference to garbage; any human
eiDg in similar straits will act precisely in
DO same way.n 1t may DO economical,
nd perhaps even deairable, to convert into
DIRK matters which can in no other way,
r in no way more convenient, be made
lbservient to the subsistence of mankind,
nd the pig is possibly properly utilized in
lis manner. Our only desire is to
indicate his character as clearly feeder,
only he has the chance of clearly feed
lg youchsafed him.