75 



and brought into the world. Again, piglings which are of abnormal 

 Bize from any cause sometimes gives the sow considerable; trouble to 

 eject, [f the sow be perfectly quiet, help can be given with profit by 

 the attendant, care being taken not to use too much force so that the 



sow is not internally injured. 



After the sow has finished farrowing, a small quantity of warm 

 and sloppy food should be given to her, and if the bed is very wet. a 

 small quantity of short straw should be given to her, when she will 

 lie down and rest for several hours until her pigs are quite strong, 

 providing they do not quarrel over the selection of their own 

 particular teats ; if they should bite the sow's udder, the little sharp 

 teeth should be broken off with a pair of pincers. Those pigs which are 

 carried more than the usual sixteen weeks frequently have long and 

 sharp, and sometimes dark coloured, teeth, which are very sharp; to 

 break these off is a necessity. The sow will usually show that the pig>' 

 teeth require attention, as she will lie on her belly and refuse to suc- 

 kle them ; if this be continued for any length of time the collection 

 of milk will cause inflammation of the udder, with disastrous results. 



When the pigs are about a month old they will commence to eat son i e 

 of the sharps fed to the sow : it is then a good plan to turn the sow out 

 of the sty for an hour or two. and to give the little pigs a few peas or ker- 

 nels of wheat to eat. Many persons make the mistake of only feeding 

 the freshly weaned pigs twice a day, forgetful of the fact that the sow 

 suckles her pigs from eight to twelve times a day, as they grow older. 

 Their stomachs are not intended to stow away large lots of food at a 

 ti m e. — Board of Agriculture. 4, Whitehall Place, London, S.W., 

 January, 1904. 



617.-RBLATIONSHIP OF WOODS TO DOMESTIC 

 WATER SUPPLIES. 



This subject has, for more than twenty years, occupied much of 

 the attention of Forest Experimental Stations, especially in Germany, 

 France, Austria, and Switzerland : and in view of its importance the 

 conclusions arrived at may be usefully summarised. 



It has been asserted, and theoretically the contention is doubtless 

 correct, that masses of woodland increase the rainfall. The causes of 

 this result are sought for in the reduction of temperature associated 

 with forests, and in the greater absolute and relative humidity of the 

 air in woods. But although it may be possible to obtain experimental 

 proof by means of elaborate and long-continued observations in a 

 region where extensive afforestation or deforestation is taking place, 

 it may at once be said that such tree-planting as is practically possible 

 in Britain can have no appreciable influence on the rainfall. Tree> 

 do, however, under certain conditions of the atmosphere, condense 

 dew on their leaves and branches, and this effect may often be seen in 

 the wet state of the ground underneath trees on a foggy morning, 

 when the surface elsewhere is comparatively dry. 



But the case is materially different where the fate of the rain and 

 snow that falls on a tract of woodland is considered. The foliage, 

 branches, and stems of the trees intercept much of the rain and snow 

 so that it never reaches the ground at all, the amount so intercepted 



