The Osceola times., 1888-11-10
THE HOG.
Some Information About His Pc
culiar Cussedness.
Luke sharp Kindly Admonishcs the Econ
omist to "Beware Of the Hog'-His
Potent Reasons for Taking
this Decided Stand.

The strong point in amateur farming
Is It's economy. A man on salary ha.
70 look at things from an economical
standpoint. He reasons this way
that is, he thinks it is reasoning, but il
isn't-a city lot costs good deal Of
money and you can do nothing with il
except keep the back yard in disorder
and sod the front lawn nicely and sci
an automatic sprinkler on it so that il
will wet every passerby on the side
walk. Now, for the same amount / can
buy few acres in the suburbs. grow
the vegetables want, keep COW and a
horse, and instead OF paying i've dollars
o month to exercise In the gymnasium
can work in the garden and gain
health as well as money. Deluded
mani II he only appreciated the solid
comfort n man takes In rented place
that he can leave the moment it doesn't
suit him. he would never yearn to own
a"bit Of land" There is good deal of
truth in the wit Of the old story OF the
man who said to the passerby: I'm
not so poor as | look. don't ot0n this
plare."
The strong point Of the new amateur
farmer being therefore economy, he is
In fit state OF mind TO meet his great
est enemy-the hog. OF all the animals
on the amateur farm, | say particularly,
"beware of the hog" Do not be per-
suaded by your wife to invest in hog.
Do not fall "A victim 10 those seductive
articles in the agricultural papers about
the inexpensiveness OF keeping a hog
and the JOY there will be in the family
when that animal is killed. But per-
haps am going too far. The papers
are quite right about the joy that you
will feel when the hog is dead and
strung up by the hind legs with a stick
through them. Hog killing is always
sioyous time on the genuine farm, and
on that occasion they have better things
10 eat in celebration of the event than
at any other period OF farm life, except
when the threshing-machine comes
around.
The arguments for keeping hog are
many. and they are 50 persuasive that
] will not attempt TO combat them.
Eminent scientists have calculated that
family OF five persons can keep a hog
in luxury on the leavings that are 9TH
wise wasted. Now the amateur farmer
will not be long in the business before
he has this scientific fact flung at him.
He knows that when he buys horse he
has to calculate on getting hay and oats
and paying bills for shoeing and all
that sort of thing, but here is an animal
that when bought in infancy will grow
up with the country, cost nothing to
feed and bring in a handsome profit in
the fall. Therefore il seems criminal
negligence on the part of the amateur
farmer If he does not have n hog about
The premises. He usually falls into the
trap and raises big blotch on his
thumb with the hammer while he builds
ahog-pen that will be an eyesore to the
heighhorhood as long as it stands. |
mean the pen, not the blotch. The
amateur farmer is even worse at anna
'eur carpentering than he is at farming,
which is making a pretty strong state
nent' but one that can prove.
lie then buys young incipient hog
from neighbor for sl.50. and brings it
nome under his arm, squealing like to
raise both the quick and the dead. He
gets his sleeve and wrist torn by its
sharp pigs feet, and at last, with much
rehei' liings 1t over into the pen. The
small animal takes hasty walk around
tne inclosure, and then deliberately goes
through IL as II il were made specially
'or the purpose OF letting pigs out in
s'ead OF Keeping them in.
before the astonished amateur farmer
nas time TO draw his breath the pig is
a'noling of home quite regardless OF
.ne laet that he has just been bought for
Nnowlng absolutely nothing Of the
pcu'iar powers OF a pig the new owner
'nihks he can catch him. This brings
o 10 one OF the peculiarities OF the
O'u'e that believe has hitherto es-
%Pcu the notice OF other scientific men.
u you ever pay attention to how a
rs runs lie goes wobblety, wobblety.
"oopiety, in helpless sort OF fashion,
s'ering an imploring little squeai
Try time he jumps, as much as to
sas' PLEASE don't catch me-" And
~, an express train couldn't catch him,
in~. a ne knows 1t well enough, but the
l'e contrariness OF the beast leads
e.' 70 make that show of being easily
Ms. Mn.. The amateur farmer believes
h Al ne ruDs little faster he will
aas. se nim' but the pig, merely by acci-
,eaa, seemingly, keeps just out OF
svn IL takes years OF this sort OF
~. ~per'ence to teach the amateur farmer
nv under no circumstances can he
0'ertake pig.
Mm"s uoes the pig delight to deceive
ans~a 'y In this way. you askp The
Why. '"'o no Is " hog' 'hat
no,. e lig grows in stature you learn
ieal,, au more about him. He is per-
unsuitable in the matter Of food.