San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-07-15
PIG.BREEDING IN SICILY.
Curious Statistics Of an Extensive
Industry.

Curious Statistics OF an Extensive
Industry.
From the London Times.
The last British consular report
from Palermo contains some curious
details respecting the breeding of pigs
in Sicily, which in certain districts,
and especially in mountainous parts,
are reared in great numbers Nearly
all the small towns are overrun with
them, and they are not only useful
for food, but act as scavengers
to the dirty streets. They are en-
ticed in towns to devour the filth
iesl food by sprinkling bran over it..
In the mountainous districts, where
there are oak forests; they are driven
up to the high regions to feed on
acorns. A good acorn year is god
send to those who possess oak forests.
For each full-grown pig as much as
los is paid for the acorn season to the
owner of the forest; two medium siz d
pigs and three small ones are admit
ted at the same rate.
The pigs, which are thus driven
about under the superinteLdence OF
of boy swineherds. are all ear.marked
and speedily become accustomed to
their new conditions OF life. They
form among themselves a sort of re.
pu bIican government, and are docile
to the call and windiDgs of the horn
IF their young guardians, who are
clothed in very plain and primitive
fashion, and live simply on bread
and water, taxing out with them
every day loaves baked in the ovens
of the farm, and in shape precisely
the same as those that have been
found in the bakers shop at Pompeii.
The pigs are driven back home at
night and housed to avoid disease,
and, strange to say, their sheds al .
scrupulously clean. 1t is said ths t
they establish internally a kind f
sanitary jurisdiction, and that pig
which is found a delinquent against
the sanitary rules is attacked with
fury by the rest and killed.
The Con sui hast. seen covered pig
sites made of stone and capable of
holding $50 or 400 pigs, and found
them dry and clean and very dusty.
The only value OF the pigs consists In
their being sold as fresh pork for the
making of sausages. They 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 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 !;
they, with the poultry and other
animals, share their masters te O.
ment, and will trot after him daily TO
and fro on his way to his work in the
fields. Perhaps pork is more COM
monty eaten than any other kind of
meat in the island. The boy swine
herds and goatherds who tend their
f1ocks in the mountains receive a
daily provision of bread cooked In To Q
farm buildings, and get nothing else
in winter or summer, not even in the
severest weather, and never, as a
rule, even taste pasta" or macaroni.
Besides the daily provision of bread
they receive a dole of rs francs a
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 and snowy weather,
and with such hard life and moth
ing but coarse bread and water from
years end to years. end their cheer
fulness and good humor appear quite
marvellous, and many OF them are
bright, intelligent, lively lads, and
graceful and courteous in their de-
meanor.