Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-08-12
Less Pig-pen and More Pig pasture.

Colonel y. d. Curtis Ia Tribune.
Mere blubber is not desirable food
in our climate. As pigs are now
bred and fattened they are little more
than animate lard. Everybody has
been trying for years TO see how fat
they could make their pigs, and how
much they could make them weigh in
the shortest possible time. This uni
versal system of stufiing has resulted
in breeding out muscle Qean meat,
and thickening up the fatty portions,
which are merely the deposits OF the
oil contained in the food. To facili-
tate this fattening (oil depositing)
process, absolute rest is required.
Therefore to subserve their purpose
pigs are confined in close quarters,
with no exercise except stomach ex.
ercise. This organ is brought by the
nature OF the case into a morbid con-
dition, when it Is expected to con-
sumo and digest without limit. Pigs
are stuffed to the very verge of break.
ing down of their digestive functions,
and often beyond it. In the latter
case they are speedily slaughtered be-
fore they run down. Uusually pigs
are confined in foul pens, where they
are obliged to lie In their filth, and
breath air poisonous with the fumes
of decay. The whole system is
wrong, resulting in distasteful, if not
unwholesome food. The effect Of
this system Of care and breeding
pigs with the feeding of rich and
concentrated food TO promote rapid
growth, has been TO change the ma
ture, or rather the physical construc-
tion of the animal from q muscular
TO blubberous condition.
Exercise and slow growth conduce
TO muscular development, as muscles
are formed where and when required.
This is 4 universal law IN the animal
kingdom, illustrated by the black
smiths arm, the race horse, and it
could be shown in perfect demonstra-
ton by conining one pig in the way
pigs are usually fed, and taking an
other of the same litter and training
IL 70 extended exercise, or by simply
allowing It 70 roam at will in a field
during its growth. The pig thus al.
lowed TO roam would when fattened
possess double the amount of mus
Gle (lean meat) over one kept in a
close pen. The recognition of this
principle put in practical use can in
time change the character of pigs so
as 10 make them more palatable.
Everybody complains nowadays Of
pork being too fat, and yet every.
body almost persists in growing pigs
In the very way TO make them too
fat Pig meat is naturally healthy
food, and calculated for the wants OF
laboring people, as it furnishes long
digestion and plenty of nutrition,
which are what they require. The
modern improvements in breeding
have resulted in making heavy
weights in a short time, and in round.
ing and thickening the bodies, but
the so-called improvement has re-
duced the demand and the value OF
pigs for food. / do not mean to be
understood that fewer hogs are
grown, or q less number exported /:
but do mean and know that in pro-
portion TO the inhabitants in this
country much less quantity of pork
Is eaten than formerly, and It is sim.
ply because Of It's over-fatness.
There are two ways to remedy this
evil one Is to enlarge the pig-pen to
pigpasture the other is to grow
pigs OF the more muscular breeds, or
TO select breeding stock from those
OF any breed which give evidence of
more development in this direction
than of fat. Chunky hogs should be
avoided, as chunkiness means fat. Il
Is singular what follies farmers, who
should be the most sensible of people,
will pursue. They have been daft 80
long on pug.nosed and fat-cheekcd
pigs that they have nearly expelled
the pork barrel from every mans
cellar, and one of the most profitable
animals from the farm. Northern
farmers under the delusion of pug.
noses and fat-cheeks have ridiculed
the "rail-splitters" of the South,
whereas the truth is the Southern
planter had more sagacity and prac.
tical sense than the admirer of inn
proved stock, for the former has
well nigh bred himself out OF staple
article of food, and q staple source of
profitable income, while the latter has
kept up the reputation OF his bacon.
aud maintained his supply Of whole
some living. As I have suggested,
We want more pig-pastures and fewer
pig-pens. Growing pigs should have
more range, so that there may be q
perfect development of body, bone
and muscle. They want less conocn-