Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-11-06
PIG BREEDING IN s1c17.
Curious Statistics of an Er+o
Industry.

The last British consular rcno,. :,
Palermo contains some cur; ,1pof5 'ron
respecting the breeding of pigs in s si'a
which in certain districts, ahd espe eri,,y
in mountainous parts, are reared II !,,e I'M
numbers. Nearly all the small t s'eal
are overrun with them, and thew NV own
only useful for food, but act as snau n'
gers to the dirty streets. Thcy aro en
tieed in towns to devour the t; l.i gu
food by sprinkling bran over it. T., .1
mountainous districts, where thor VIZ
oak forests, they are driven up ~ a. art
high regions to feed on acorns. " ing
acorn year is a godsend to those s n
possess oak forests. For each fun. WI wing
pig as much as los. is paid for the acors
season to the owner of the forest ivy
medium.sized pigs and three small o r@o
are admitted ut the same rate. 0Ne'
The pigs, which are thus driven oho,.
under the superintendence of boy SWIM
herds, are all ear-mYked, and. Speeds,
become accustomed to their na.
conditions Of life. They form ANEW "ew
themselves sort of republican povern
ment, and are docilc to the calls ,ns
windings of the horn of their yo" "na
guardians, who are clothed in very nlois
and primitive fashion, and live simDIv " wv
bread and water, taking out with tIo W.
every day loaves baked in the oro 'ne N
the farm, and in shape precisely "I ,h "
same as those that have been founu ~ IL
the bakers shops at Pompeii. The MOS
are driven back home at night and honrs ;sS
to avoid disease. and, strange to saw
their sheds are scrupulously clean. ~
said that they establish internally Kind
of sanitary jurisdiction, and tha: a n;a
which is delinquent against the sanitarss
rules is attacked with fury by the rae,
and killed. e''
The Consul has seen covered MO stos
made of stone and CAPABLE of holdino sHo |
or 400 pigs, and found them dry, clean a pnS
very dusty. The only value Of the bios
consists of their being sold as fresh p 1
and for the making Of sausagcs. Thew
fatten we'll upon acorns. and their flesh
is very white and tasteful, whereas the
color Of the pork in the towns is quite
dark. The sausages which are made
are also very tolerable, but the curing Of
pork for ham or bacon is unknown in
Sicily. Pigs in Sicily enjoy as much
social distinction as in Ireland; thew
with the poultry and other animals
share their masters tenement, and will
trot after him daily to aud fro on his way
to work in the fields. Perhaps perks
more commonly eaten than any other
kind of meat in the island. The bow
swinehcrds and goathcrds who tend the
tloc&s in the mountains receive daily
provision of bread cooked in the farm
buildings, and get nothing else in Winter
or Summer, not even in the severest
weather, and never, as rule, ever taste
pasta or macaroni. Besides the daily
provision of bread they receive dole Of
75i. year, paid in three parts, out Of
which they find their clothes. A great
part of the year the lads sleep in the
open air or in temporary straw huts,
often in rainy or snowy weather, and
with such {. hard life and nothing but
coarse bread and water from years end to
years end their cheerfulness and good
humor appear quite marvellous, and many
Of them are bright, intelligent, lively
lads, and graceful and courteous in heiI
demeanor. Il London Times.