SWINE. 99 



SWINE. 

 HINGHAM. 



[From the Report of the Committee.] 



The raising of swine is a profitable part of the business of 

 the farmer. More or less of them should be kept on every 

 farm, to utilize the refuse products, if no more. The addi- 

 tional manure that may be made, with care and labor, pays 

 an important share of the keeping till the time for fattening. 



In raising pigs there is, generally, even more profit than in 

 pork-raising; though in some years, like the present, little 

 may be realized from this source. Last year I sold a sow to 

 a friend, and it took considerable argument to convince him 

 that it was for his interest to purchase. In the Avinter I 

 received a letter from him containing his statement of the 

 profits on that hog. Of her first litter of pigs (nine in num- 

 ber), six were sold for twenty-eight dollars; three were 

 fatted, and sold for fifty-one dollars. Of a second litter, 

 seven sold for eighteen dollars ; three were kept, of an esti- 

 mated value of nine dollars ; and the value of the sow then 

 was thirty-five dollars. Deducting the first cost left a hun- 

 dred and sixteen dollars as the receipts, including the keep- 

 ing. 



This experience is all on the right side ; and there are often 

 cases where bad luck attends the rearing of the young, and 

 accidents occur which leave the balance, perhaps, on the 

 other side. Still we believe that raising pigs, on the whole, 

 is profitable. 



We believe great care should be taken to select the right 

 kind of pigs. We do not wish to advocate any particular 

 breed ; but, in selecting, the most desirable points to notice 

 are length and depth of body, breadth of back, small bone, 

 small head in comparison to size of body, full ham, and 



