THE PORK MAKING INDUSTRY IN MAINE. 57 



Strawy horse manure, and abundance of fresh air, the sows 

 approached the farrowing period in the best of health. Here 

 we began to feed a small ration of middlings, with reduced 

 quantity of roots. Pens were provided, with guard rails eight 

 inches from the dirt floors and a small bed of straw furnished, 

 this being changed frequently to keep dry. When the pigs 

 came some one was in constant attendance to prevent accidents, 

 and then the sows were left by themselves for a day before being 

 fed. The first ration was of skim-milk, with a little middlings 

 and bran, fed warm, and very soon there was call for liberal 

 rations. One fact noticed was that there was a decided differ- 

 ence in sows carrying the same number of pigs, in the quantity 

 of food consumed, those requiring most being the heaviest 

 milkers. Before the pigs were two weeks old, small, low down 

 troughs had been provided and the food of the dams was being 

 supplemented by that specially prepared for the young pigs. 



When four weeks old, some of the best of each litter were 

 weighed, the variation being from nineteen to twenty-five 

 pounds. As these sows were carrying eight to ten pigs each, 

 the difference in weight forced the conclusion that in future 

 breeding the sows to be retained should be the most liberal 

 milkers. Here was a lesson of signal importance, the full force 

 of which was not realized until these pigs were three to four 

 months old. The larger size obtained during the first four 

 weeks gave a strength and vigor to the pigs which sent them 

 ahead rapidly later on. As the breeding of the sows was prac- 

 tically the same, the sire the same, and the system of feed- 

 ing the same, the conclusion was reached that the sows calling 

 for most food and carrying the largest udder development 

 were the best and most profitable. 



Failing to have a field of winter rye to turn the pigs on early 

 in May, as I surely would if the experiment was to be repeated, 

 we broke strips of partly frozen earth between the trees in the 

 orchard April 19th, sowing thereon at the rate of three pounds 

 of rape and one bushel of oats per acre, using a small quantity 

 of grain and grass fertilizer. May 12th, these five brood sows, 

 with what pigs remained, were turned to pasture in this orchard 

 and the grain ration cut down materially for the sows. Within 

 two we.eks a decided improvement in condition was to be seen. 



