14^ AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



they soon leave their beds in the pleasant weather and follow 

 the mother around the lot but the spring litters should be made 

 to take exercise. See that they leave their beds at least once a 

 day, till they are two weeks old. Compel them to follow the 

 mother to the feed trough and let them remain there till she re- 

 turns and follow her back. This exercise will have the desired 

 effect in preventing the thumps. You can seldom, if ever, 

 cure it after once taken. 



All hogs in winter, when they cannot have access to the 

 ground, should be supplied with a mixture for preserving the 

 health of swine and particularly the breeding sows carrying 

 young, as their systems need some mineral matter. If you 

 have one that you find is not doing quite right — whose coat is 

 rough and whose appetite is poor, it is this one that will call on 

 you most for this mixture. It is made up as follows : Three 

 bushels wood ashes, one bushel charcoal (small pieces), one 

 bushel fine salt, one-half bushel air-slaked lime, five pounds 

 Spanish brown, two bushels flour sulphur, one-half pound cop- 

 peras and one-fourth pound saltpetre. Pulverize the last two 

 thoroughly. Mix on the barn floor and keep in a dry place and 

 feed it to your hogs two or three times per week at least. 



If, however, there is disease in your neighborhood and you 

 are afraid the germs will be carried to your herd, use as a pre- 

 ventive four ounces black antimony and one pound sulphur, 

 mixed, giving one tablespoonful to an eight-quart bucket of 

 slop once per day for three days ; then skip three days and give 

 again. While we do not claim these remedies are infallible, 

 yet we do beheve from experience, when used intelligently, the 

 danger from disease will be reduced to a minimum. 



