The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-05-14
eR'Ea noG tMu MS ODDITIES.

Hogs are not stupid--the popular i'm
preston 10 the contrary notwithstand-
ing. lnsteau. they are Very wise-es-
pecially weather wise. Negroes say.
"Ole Br'er Hawg, he kin see de wind"
Centainiy Br'er Hogs behavior il
sometimes such as TO give color of rea-
son to the Lelief The wind may blow
softly, the sun shine warm in a clear
blue sky. but il that mysterious sense
warns the hog Of change. he gets ready
for IL upon the instant
Hogs in herd are tremendously gre.
gariots; they feed and range and sleep
in gangs. Their leaf beds are heaped
together as soon as the frost falls. The
older animals begin the heaping, and
the pigs quickly fall in line. At first
the mound is moderate. but when cold
or snow threatens II grows as il by
brush and strawy sedge are gnawed of
and carried in great mou .nfuls to re-
enforce the bed. III twenty hogs are to
sleep in IL IL will be breast high to q
man before the accumulation ceases.
Then as soon as feeding Is over the
hogs make dash for it, burrow and
bury themselves. head and ears. in its
depths. They lie cross-and-pile. any
fashion, indeed. which brings them as
close together as possible. As the cold
increases In the night, those upon the
outer edges push under and between
their sleeping mates. thus rousing them
to squeal discomfort.
sucking SOW makes her own bed
ana drives away from IL everything
except her pigs. She heaps Il conically.
goes up on top works herself half way
down in it, then whirls around and
around. until she has followed for her.
self and her piggies a snug nest. After
she hes down In n. with her pigs
strung along her side. she rises upon her
forelegs, and with her snout fiirts the
bedstun all over her litter
once upon time, three pet pigs were
trained 10 come for their morning mush
and milk at the sound of Dixie" most
vigorously sung. They never failed to
hear and heed. even though half u
mile on. yet paid no attention whatever
TO any other song or sound. Another
pig, friendless and astray, fell into the
way OF feeding with the cows in pen.
and.until he was transmitted into bacon
answered only to the call OF "Sook COW.
Soo-ook!" And still another learned o.
regulate feeding by the sound of the
big farm bell, and came grunting and
heard it's clamor.
While a fat pig Is about the LATEST
and the clumsiest OF created things, one
lean and hungry is among the most ac-
tive in mind and body. A fearless fora
ger, the fence that turns him has TO be
diIDOSt JULIET anu DOnlO pTOOI.fte Ie6rnS
to climb post and rail as q dog climbs
TO throw down snake ran after the
manner of breachy cattle, to evade
barbed wire as snrewdly as a politician
evades the fulfillment of a promise,
and to worm his way through every
thing in a manner 10 Justify the angry
farmer. who said: II don't know about
a camel going through the eye OF a
needle, but II IL was a hog I'd bet on
his doing IL every time"
No other animal has been more mod
flied by civilization. and none reverts
more quickly TO the original wild type
Three generations OF running wild suf-
flee 10 turn the smooth. round. short
shouted Berkshire. all meat, almost no
feet, into the razorback or hazel-split-
ter. thin. lank, leggy. lop-eared. sharp
shouted, an Ishmaei In bristles. running
like deer, IL running be possible, fight
ing as only a wild hog can fight when
battle In imperative. The tusks which
have been lfobliterated I'm the pro-
cess OF civilization get back size and
strength At year old they are formid-
able. at two murderous. at three or five
more deadly than a sword. They AFFORD
a certain index of age up TO six years.
but are commonly broken i'm fights long
before that time. Wild boars are. very
ill-tempereti. and when worsted in
fghting often revenge themselves by
ripping the bark from trees as high as
they can reach.