Maison rustique, or The countrey farme· Compyled in the French tongue by Charles Steuens, and Iohn Liebault, Doctors of Physicke. And translated into English by Richard Surflet, practitioner in physicke. Now newly reuiewed, corrected, and augmented, with diuers large additions, out of the works of Serres his Agriculture, Vinet his Maison champestre, French. Albyterio in Spanish, Grilli in Italian; and other authors. And the husbandrie of France, Italie, and Spaine, reconciled and made to agree with ours here in England: by Geruase Markham. The whole contents are in the page following

CHAP. XXIIII.

Of the Hogheard.

AMongst all Cattell seruing for food, the most rauenous, the most filthie, and the most harmefull (that is to say the Swine) is had in great estima∣tion, and much commended amongst vs for the sweetnesse of the flesh, whiles yet it sucketh and is young, both for the Sowce and salted parts thereof, as also for the Lard, the Skinne, and the Bristles thereof. The rauenousnesse and greedie feeding of this Beast, is witnessed by the Sow which the French King killed in hunting, within whose bellie were found six pailes full of Grapes. Their fil∣thinesse and stench, their wallowing of themselues, their eating of stinking and filthie things, as also the harme that they doe, may be answered and proued by their roo∣ting vp and vndermining of Walls by the foot and bottome, the trampling which

they keepe about Trees, Medowes, and vnsowne places. For this cause, in a Farme of great reuenues (such a one as wee describe in this place) there needeth a speciall man onely for that purpose, to gouerne and guide them in the fields▪ 〈◊〉〈◊〉 such a one as knoweth to dresse and order his Heard in good time, and in clean•• and cleanely sort to put the Pigges that are wained, in one place, wi••h the Bores and Hogges; and the Sowes, with their young ones, into a second place by themselues: and yet further, the sicke and diseased into a third particular place by themselues. Fresh straw often∣times giuing them, and renewed, doth fat them as much as their meat: And you must take care, that their Troughes be alwaies cleane: And against variable weather, the Hogheard must haue in store much Acornes, Beanes, Crabs, or wild Peares, or some other rotten Fruit, or some manner of Pulse, or some Washings of Vessell: and for want hereof, some steept Barly, together with Bran and Coleworts, or boyled Tur∣neps, or great Nauers, to offer vnto them. And euerie day when they come from the field, let the Huswife procure in readinesse for them some daintie hot meat; as Whay, the droppings of the Cheese mingled with Bran and Water, hauing first had three or foure boiles together: for besides that, this good attendance will cause them to make hast home, and not to forsake their companie to runne stragling abroad, when the Hogheard would haue them to come home: These hot drinkes and meats doe also heat the cold meats which they shall haue fed vpon in the field all the day long: and thirdly, they will rest better in the night: and lastly, not become so subiect to disea∣ses. And let there be speciall care had that their meat be not cold, not too thinne, least is cause them the flux of the bellie.

There is also two other Foods, which are verie naturall and excellent for Hogges: the first whereof is Ale or Beere Graines, that is to say, after your Malt hath beene ground and masht, and that you haue drawne both your best and your smaller drinke from it; then with the remaines, mixt either with Whay, Buttermilke, Washings of Vessels, or such like, you shall feed your Swine twice a day, and be sure to fill their bellies. This food will preserue and keepe them in good plight and liking: and though it will not fatten, or make them readie for slaughter, yet it will hold them in good flesh, and prepare them so well for feeding, that with lesse cost you may make them seruiceable. The second is Chaundlers Graines, which is the dregs, skins, and other substances, which at the melting of his Tallow will by no meanes be dissouled; these you shall mixe with the Swines Wash, being a little warmed, and giue him a good meale thereof three times a day, and it will fatten him exceedingly, and in verie short space.

Also if you take raw Malt when it is almost readie to goe to the Kilne, and as the Husbandman saith, is only well comed, and with it feed your Swine, there is nothing in the world that will sooner fatten them: for besides that it is a great feeder, it feedeth and maketh both the flesh and fat exceeding white, and pleasant both to the eye and tast: Only this obseruation you must euer hold, that when you haue fed your Swine to his full proofe, with what food soeuer it be that you feed them, that then you harden that fatnesse, by giuing the Swine good store of drie Pease or Beanes foure or fiue daies before he come to slaughter: for without it, the fat will consume in the pot, and the flesh will much lessen. Now during the time that you feed your Swine, it shall be good that once or twice you giue them good store of Veriuice and Radle or red Oaker mixt together: for this will not onely stay the flux of the bel∣lie, but also cleanse and preuent the Meazle, which is verie incident, and generally happeneth to all Swine in their feeding. Also you shall note, that the Husbandman is of opinion, that you cannot outer-feed or make your Swine too fat: for (sayth he) the fatter your Bacon is, the more is your profit, and three bits of such Lard shall soo∣ner cloy and fill the bellie of a hynde, than a whole Gommon of such Bacon as it halfe fed, and hath the leane thereof equally mixed with the fat together. Whence it commeth, that the thriftie Husbandman will seeke all meanes, both by Mast, Corne, Hippes, Hawes, or anie other moat, to raise his Swine to as great proofe as he can anie way compasse.

Let the floore or pauement of their cote be layed with thicke pauing stone, and euerie moneth renewed with grauell or sand to drie vp their pis••e, for this beast though he be sluttish and dirtie, doth notwithstanding prosper best in a clean house that is well kept and maintained. And to the end that the corruption of the aire which this kind of beast maketh in close places may not cause him to haue either any ill sent or other diseases to grow vpon them in their cotes, especially when they are in any number together: it behooueth that the doore thereof be made with thorough lights of great barres, or clouen bords, to the end that their euill aire may pass•• away, and that which is good may come in place continually, and it is meet that the doore should giue downe verie neere vnto the causey, to the end that they may not lift it vp with their snouts, and cast it off the hinges: for this cattell can hardly indure to be shut vp, but gnaw and bite with their teeth, whatsoeuer it be that hindreth the•• from comming forth where they are inclosed.

The Hogges which you intend to keepe in and to fat, shall not come forth of their stie, being alone and free from others, neither shall they haue any light but at the doore which is made to go in at for to dresse them. The care about them is not so great as of other cattell, excepted onely the keeping of them cleane, and knowing how to make them good meat, so long as vntill they be fat, for after that they will e∣uerie day leaue some of their meat, not stirring out of their place, as though they vvere vvithout feeling and power for to moue, in such manner as that though the great height of fatnesse, that they are growne vnto, and the thicknesse therewith∣all, Mise may sometimes make their nests vpon their backes, and yet they feele them, for they are sometimes seene to heape such quantitie of fat vpon the liue flesh, as that there are some Hogges found a foot and a hal••e thicke of Lard.

Keepe not aboue ten Bores for a hundred Sowes, and so forth proportionably: the rest as vvell Males as Females let them be wained, and gelded after a yeare old, or sixe moneths at the least, howbeit the most infallible time and opportunitie i••, vvhen they begin to grow hot, and goe a brimming. Suffer not aboue eighteene Pigges ordinarily to sucke one Sow, but sell the rest at eight or ten daies old: and a yeare after, waine and geld the rest, and so put them into the field: keepe those espe∣cially which haue a short and broad head, the snout set high, and long without, the brest fat and broad, the chine of the necke large, his feet short, his thighs great, and in the rest, verie short, grosse, square, and well packt together, of colour blacke or vvhite, and full of bristles vpon his backe, for to make Bores: and those which are verie long, side bellied, great headed, large buttockt, and sides giuing out, likewise all of white colour, a small head, and short legges, for your Sowes: of the rest mak•• prouision for the house.

Let not your Gylt goe to bore, till she be past a yeare old, and let the Boore b•• betwixt three and foure: for after he be past fiue, he must be gelded to be fa••••ed. The time to put your Sow to the Bore, whether it be to breed, or to put vp to feed, is best in the ••i••st quarter of the Moone, and vnto the full, for before it is not good, no more than it is in the old of the Moone: and it shall be from the beginning of Fe∣bruarie vnto mid March▪ or a little after, to the end that in Iune, Iulie, and August, your Pigges may grow to haue some strength, and may be vvell growne and thick•• of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 by September: for Winter Pigges are hard to reare, and not so kind as the other: because this kind of cattell is more chill than the others, which is the cause that in many places they haue their cote and stie prouided and dressed with li••••e and straw, although they haue sufficient store of stone, lime, sand, and plaster: you must also beware that the Boore keepe not companie with the Sows that are with Pigge, for he would but bite them and cause them to cast their Pigges.

This beast is a great eater, and cannot endure hunger, especially the Sows, which in this necessitie haue beene seene sometimes to eat their owne Piggs, and those of o∣thers, as also children in their cradles, which is no small inconuenience: and there∣fore you must haue care that their troughs be neuer emptie.

For to make Hogges verie fat, you must geld them. It is best to geld them in the old of the Moone, in the new, or in the wane, and in the Spring, or September, the time being temperate. If you geld them young, the flesh will be the better, but then they grow not so much: If you geld them, growne somewhat bigge, they grow a deale more, but then the flesh is not so good: And therefore it will be good to doe it when they are betwixt foure and sixe moneths old, and at the most not to goe aboue a yeare. They are subiect vnto manie diseases: And the Hogge is knowne to be ficke, when hee hangeth the eare verie much, and doth become more slow and heauie than hee hath beene accustomed; or that he is found to be without appetite: For your better certaintie, when there doe not appeare anie of these signes, pull from him, against the haire, a hand∣full of the bristles of his backe; if they be cleane and white at the root, hee is ••ound and healthfull: but and if that they be bloudie, or otherwise spotted, he is sicke.

But he is subiect especially to be meazled, because of his much and filthie fee∣ding: and this is the cause why some doe search the roots of his tongue, and others behind the eares, when he is carried to the Markets to be sold in Faires or in good Townes. And I thinke that this was the cause why our fore-fathers made it not an ordinarie thing to eat, and that the Iewes doe abhorre to eat it at all. This disease is not cured but with great difficultie: notwithstanding it will in some sort be cured, if his Stie be euerie day made cleane: if he be suffered to walke and goe into the fields in the fresh aire: if he be caused to bath or wallow himselfe oftentimes in Sea water, or salt water: if he haue Bay-berries beaten and mingled amongst his meat: if there be giuen him the drosse of the Wine-presse, mingled with Branne and Leauen. Now there are three infallible signes to know the Swine to be meazled: as if there be found vnder his tongue blackish pustules: if he cannot carrie himselfe vpright of his hinder legges: and thirdly, if his bristles, puld off his backe, shew bloudie at the roots. Likewise, for that the Hogge, by reason of his filthinesse, for the most part hath one fault or other betwixt his skinne and flesh, how sound soeuer he be; it is good, after he be killed, to haue his haire swinged off with straw, rather than to scald them off with hot water: for the fire doth draw out a great deale more easily than warme water that, whatsoeuer it is, that may be betwixt the skinne and the flesh. Yet the scalding of Hogges keepeth the flesh whitest, plumpest, and fullest, neither is the Bacon so apt to reast as the other; besides, it will make it some∣what apter to take salt: howsoeuer, if it be for Porke, then you must necessari∣ly scald them, because the fire will else harden the skinne too much, and make the flesh vnkindly: besides, the swindging of Hogges leaueth the roots of the haires in the skinne, and the scalding bringeth them forth, which makes the flesh the better.

He is also subiect vnto the paine and swelling of the Spleene, and to the Murraine, which in contagious times doth a great deale the more easily seize vpon foule and fil∣thie bodies, and such as are of a bad feeding.

Against his want of stomacke to his meat, it is vsed to cause him to fast a day and a night close shut vp in some darke place, that so he may wast his superfluous hu∣mors, and fall to eat his meat againe.

For the Ague, he is to be let bloud in the taile: and for the Rheume and swelling of the kernels of the necke, or yet when he is but suspected to be meazled, he is to be let bloud vnder the tongue.

For paine and swelling happening vnto him in the time of Fruits, when there is great store, and that he feedeth his full vpon the rotten, he must be caused to eat old Capers well scoured from salt through branne and water; as also much Coleworts, as well red as others: and some doe make him a speciall meat of Ta∣mariske.

For the scabs and kernels of the necke, some vse to rub him with beaten salt with the flower of pure wheat.

If he haue eaten of Henbane, which ancient men haue called the Hogges be••ne, or else of Hemlocke, he must be made to drinke the decoction of wild Cucume well warmed, for to cause him to vomit.

He must aboue all other things be well kept with drinke in the time of the Dog daies, and other such hot times, and to suffer him to moile and tumble in the dy•••• at his pleasure; for thirst causeth him to become poore and leane and in weake estate.

The Egyptians doe greatly honour the Swine, and giue him manifold thanks fo•• hauing first shewed them the manner of tilling the ground, by clea••ing and cutting of it with the fore-part of his snout, and as one that by little and little hath taugh•• them to make the Ploughs culter. In like manner, they which dwell in low and so•••• places along by the Riuer Nilus, haue no encrease of the earth but what they toyle and labour out of the same with the Plough: but the Peasants doe nothing 〈◊〉〈◊〉 put their Swine into their Fields, and goe after them with Seed; and because that Swine haue the gift to digge vp the earth with their snouts, and to tread in the Corne with their feet, they vse them to ouer-turne all their Ground 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of hand, and so to couer the Seed which the Countrey people haue cast vpo•• the same.

Furthermore, the good Householder (besides the good prouision that hee shall make for himselfe and his familie of the Porke cut in pieces, and well salted in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Larder) shall further gather his grease for the axle-trees of his Waines and 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ Againe, the good Huswife shall make her profit of it in like manner for the d••ease•• of her familie, in as much as it is verie good to draw to a head all sorts of apostemes, being mixt with leauen, as also to heale the moles of the heeles, if the powder of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 be mixt therewithall, and the ashes of the flower of Barly.

It is vsed in a common prouerbe, That the Swine hath nothing in him but it is good, his ordure and dung excepted; but experience sheweth the contrarie: for the dung of a Swine fried with fresh butter and equall quantitie of lumpes of cluttered•• bloud, spet out by him that bleedeth aboundantly, being giuen to the partie so blee∣ding to eat, doth stay and stop presently his spetting of bloud.

It remaineth that we declare how we ought to salt Swines flesh. All manner of Cattell (but especially the Swine) which we intend to vse for meat, must be killed 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the new of the Moone, or in the first quarter: For if you should kill it in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the Moone, looke how much the longer you deferre to salt it, so much the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 time and fire must it haue to boyle it when you should vse it: and for this reason, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Sawsidge, or such other like meat, doth become lesse by a quarter when they are boi∣led. For this cause also it is, that the skilfull Husbandman will not buy these kin•••• of beasts to make his prouision of, if he be not sure that they were borne in the ••••∣crease of the Moone: for otherwise also they doe grow but little, and their fl••sh 〈◊〉〈◊〉 not of sufficient weight when as one hath killed them. Kill therefore your Swine 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the encrease of the Moone, and let them not drinke the day before you intend to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 them, that so their flesh may be the more drie: for and if they drinke, the salting time will haue the greater quantitie of superflouus moisture to drinke vp: Also the flesh will be the better, if they be kept fasting but one halfe day before they be killed▪ Now when you haue thus killed them in their thirst, and halfe famished, it shall b•• for the best to take out as manie of the bones as you can, for this will cause the sal••ing to be of better effect, preseruing the flesh the longer from corruption. After cut the flesh in pieces, and put it into the salting Tub, making as manie beds of salt gross••••y brayed as there is of flesh, the one aboue the other: And when the salting Tub shal•• be in a manner full, you shall fill vp the head with salt, and presse all downe 〈◊〉〈◊〉 with verie heauie weights. Some put these pieces and the salt within a table-cloth▪ 〈◊〉〈◊〉 within a sack that hath two mouths, and shake it vp and downe therein, that so 〈…〉〈…〉 take salt in euerie place, and afterward lay it orderly in the salting Tub, strawing 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vpon euerie bed. In some Countries they vse not in such sort to cut it in piece•• to cause it to take salt; neither do other some put it in salt brine in a close powdring 〈◊〉〈◊〉

but after that they haue made it into pieces, they diuide all the Lard in two, and salt these two halfes all of them, making the salt to pierce and enter into them with a rowling-pinne: and this thing is not done at one time, or in one day, but at two or three times, and in two or three dayes space: after they hang them to the ioice of some boorded floore, or to the crookes set vp in some vaulted roofe, if so be there be anie vault; and the Lard thus salted, is more fast, and of a better tast: And if it fall out to be long kept, and to passe a yeare, it groweth to be of a golden co∣lour: So it is better to salt and keepe it thus for them which desire to haue that which is excellent good, rather than after anie other fashion that hath beene spo∣ken of heretofore.

Notes

• The Hogge a greater feeder than anie beast which is for mans food.
• Six pailes of Grapes found in the bellie of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Sow.
• The commoditie of fresh straw.
• Swines meat.
• To feed Swine speedily.
• The swine cote.
• The feeding of Hogges.
• Tenne bores, for a hundred Sowes.
• Eight••ene pigs to one Sow.
• Signes of a good Hogge.
• The time for the Sow to take Bore.
• The hog cannot abide ••unger. Sowes eating th••••r owne pigs and children.
• The time to g••ld Hogges.
• How to know t••e diseases of Hogges.
• The meazle in Hogges.
• The way to cure the meazle Hogge.
• Signes of the meazled Hogge.
• It is better to burne than to scald hogges.
• Subiect to the Murraine and swelling of the Spleene.
• Lacke of appe∣tite.
• Physicke for Swine.
• Ag••e, Rheume.
• Swelling.
• Scabs.
• The eating of Henbane or Hemlocke.
• Thirst.
• Swine honored of the Egypti∣ans.
• Hogges grease.
• Swines dung.
• To powder Swines flesh.
• To kill Swine in the encrease of the Moone.