Genre:

Letter, Spoof

Subjects:

Hunting, Anaesthesia, Cruelty, Nutrition, Animal Behaviour, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry

Publications cited:

Carlisle Examiner

    Written from the perspective of a farmer from southern England, the narrator draws attention to 'a new way up there [in the North] o' killun pigs' which involves anaesthetising the animal. Noting the tendency of pigs to 'squake' even when 'they zees the pig-butcher', describes the proposal 'to stupidfy the pig wi clorifarm, like the Christian, zo as shouldn't zuffer nothun whiles they wus a killun of un'. Observes that 'There's no knowun, afore you tries, whether your clorifarm meddn't spile your poork or your beeacon' but asserts that this method 'zaves the poor cretur vrom being punished onnecessary' and makes pig killing less noisy. Resolves to try killing his pigs by this method but laments the cost of 'clorifarm'.