Page:The Hog.djvu/176

174 "The olein of ox fat is colorless, nearly inodorous, and its specific gravity (0·913; boiling alcohol dissolves nearly one-fourth more than its weight.

"Sheep's Fat, or Mutton Suet, greatly resembles that of the ox. It is, however, whiter, and, by exposure to the air, acquires a peculiar odor. After fusion, it congeals at a temperature varying between 98º and 102º. It dissolves in 44 parts of alcohol of sp. gr. 0·821 . The stearin is white, translucent, and, after fusion, but imperfectly crystalline. About 16 parts are dissolved by 100 parts of boiling anhydrous alcohol. The olein of mutton suet is colorless. Its specific gravity is 0·913, and 80 parts of it are dissolved by 100 parts of anhydrous alcohol at 168º. "Hog's Fat, or Hog's Lard, is a soft, colorless solid, which fuses between 78º and 86º. Is specific gravity at 60º is 0·938. By powerful and long-continued pressure between folds of blotting paper, it is stated to yield 62-100ths of its weight of colorless olein, of specific gravity 0·915. Of this, 100 parts of boiling alcohol dissolve 123 parts. The stearin of hog's lard is inodorous, solid, and granular, which, after fusion, remains liquid down to 100º, and then, on congealing, the temperature rises to 109º. It becomes acid by exposure to the air.

"Different as are the qualities of stearin and olein, analysis shows that their composition is less remote than might be expected. The subjoined analysis of mutton may be taken as a general example:—

"One great value of the hog, arises from the peculiarity of its fat. The great mass of this fat is laid on under the skin, and between the superficial muscles.

"Vancouver, in his ' Survey of Essex,' makes the following judicious observations relative to the management and value of hogs:—There is no animal in the whole economy of good husbandry that requires more attention as to breed, number, and supply of food, or will better requite the care and trouble of the farmer, than a well-managed and proper stock of hogs. These things, however, are too much overlooked, or rather disregarded, by farmers in general, though all are ready to agree that an overstock in other respects must ever prove fatal to the interests of the farmer. Hogs are too frequently conceived to be a trifling and unimportant part of the stock of a farm; whereas, if their first cost and the value of their food were duly considered, with their improving value, it would certainly bear them out against some of the more costly animals,