The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-05-13
lERlES OF EXPERIMENTS
TO ADVANCE PORK AS FOOD.
Said that Agricultural Department Win
Start Gradual Process to Make Hogs
Cleaner-Expermen Station.

A Washington correspondent states: The
agricultural department, 1t Is stated, is
about to inaugurate series OF experiments
in the breeding Of swine, which they hope
may result in the eradication OF many OF
the objections advanced by scientists to
pork as food. II is on account of the filthy
habits of the ordinary hog, it is said, that
this domestic animal is more prone to con.
tract infectious and contagious diseases
than any other.
II the hog were as clean in his customs
rs the sheep, for instance. the scientists be
lleve that the flesh would he sweeter and
purer, and that there would be less danger
TO the consumer from porcine tuberculosis
and trichina The idea has been advanced
by one of the enthusiastic authorities on
the culture OF farm animals that the hog
has suffered uniustly under the imputn-
ton of being naturally the dlrtiest aud
most degraded of animals.
In discussing the plans OF the department
he said;
y have never yet been thoroughly salts
ded that II the hog received fair chance
Il would not be as clean as any other do.
nestle animal Take. for Instance its well
SHOWN procliyity for wallowing In the mud
Now, | have never been convinced that IL
does Il simply because IL Is mud nor sim,
ply because II enjoys the dirt II is because
the mud is cool and soft and IL there was
something else equally cool and soft, which
possessed the additional qualification OF
cleanliness, the hog would. without doubt,
choose IT,
II say that without doubt the hog could
be so educated as 10 choose the cleaner
substance. Since the time that tho hng has
become domesticateG Il has been permitted
and even encouraged to wRllow in nlth The
primitive hog was naturally as clean as the
primitive horse. Today the wild hog. which
has never come In contact with mankind Is
squirrel ~ '"e
II win. of course take some time to
eradicate the inevitable effects Of wears Of
environment that have made hlthiness an
acquired hereditary trait In the hogs ma.
tpre. But We arc Sanguine enough 10 think
person should admit that the henedciai re-
sni IN supplying the public with pork ali
solutely free from the germs OF disease Will
more than outweigh the outlay Of labor and
expense 10 the government
The process will be gradual. We should
OF course, get special appropriation from
congress that will permit us 10 build suit
ahle experiment station, where the prellm.
mary work Will he carried on Our Ara
experiments viii be tried on VERY yonnr M.
lmals, ana, rs now think. on suckllpes OF
the Poland China variety.
These Sncklings will he taken hefora
they have had time 10 become contnminateS
ny association and put into specially nre>
pared pen, with nothing hut The rlSabeSt
SURROUNDINGS. ln the summer time clean
moist sand Will be given them i'm which ~
" They VIII he driven down an incloseS
chute on hot DAYS aud treated 10 shower
baths. After year or two Of treatment ~
tnis nature We will take several OF the
most promising Of the shoats ana ,,,rn
ihem into an enclosure. one half az which
IS ntted M With the cOnveniences 10 ,rbich
lhey nave been accustomed the other hair
III the educated pcrkers choose tho ar,
u VII he because their education has NOT
sufficiently progressed A trial viii No.
70 Dc given to ptss whose ancestors Tor twe