216

ON THE LIVE-STOCK

piece, in some parts of Scotland , were destroyed like kittens assoon as they were brought forth, or given away to any personthat choosed to be at the expence of rearing them. Even inyears of ordinary abundance, when prices of grain and pota-toes are moderate, it is a doubtful question whether they canbe bred and fattened with much advantage, by those whphave to purchase every article of their food.

For these reasons, swine hold only a subordinate rankamong the agricultural live-stock of Scotland . They arenow, however, to be found on almost every farm, and in se-veral counties at almost every cottage. In several of thewestern counties, where potatoes are extensively cultivated,particularly in Dumfries-shire, and in the districts wheredairy husbandry prevails, their numbers are considerable;and the money received for bacon exported to England,forms an important addition to the income of the inhabitants.From the eastern counties, great numbers of pigs are sent toBerwick, Aberdeen, and other places, from whence they arecarried to the London market in the state of pickled pork. Al-most every town and village in Scotland are regularly suppliedwith pork and bacon; and even in the northern counties, theprejudice against the flesh of swine has greatly subsided; andsome of the herds, which they have been long in the practiceof driving to the markets of the low country, are now retain-ed at home, and profitably applied to the food of the inha-bitant^. At one distillery 2000 swine were fed annually * ;and the numbers fed at cornmills and breweries add not alittle to the emolument of their owners.

1. The breeds of swine in Scotland are not distinguishedby any appropriate appellations. A few intelligent breedersof live-stock, have indeed bestowed a part of their attentionon this species, and the best varieties of the English breedshave been introduced into different parts of Scotland . Theyare seldom, however, to be found in a pure state, having for

* Kinross Report.