276 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



with the sides raised perpendicularly three feet before receiving the 

 half pitch roof boards. The center boards on the sides are hinged so 

 that they can be swung open in hot weather; the opening thus made 

 is covered with sirong woven wire, clamped above a ad below between 

 inch boards; the inner clamj) boards project an inch beyond the outer 

 ones, thus breaking the joints and preventing any draught when the 

 openings are closed. The two ridge boards are also hinged so that they 

 can be opened during hot weather. These openings permit a free cir- 

 culation of air which not only lowei's the temperatui'e but greatly re- 

 lieves the oppression of the pigs seeking shelter. These openings close 

 down tightly, leaving warm quarters during the coldest weather. The 

 cots proper are su])ported on skids to which they are not attached, 

 being^ held in place by the blocking of the ties across both ends. A 

 two-inch bottom is used or not, as desired; this flooring is cut in 

 lengths to fit crosswise and rest on the skids which are wider than the 

 sills. This form of cot is not desirable for the farrowing sow without 

 the addition of a railing around the perpendicular walls a few inches 

 from the floctr to prevent her from overlaying her pigs. Probably the 

 chief objection to this struciure is the expense of material and cost of 

 construction. It contains 160 feet stock lumber, 60 feet matched, 20 

 feet four-by-six, 12 feet four-by-four, and 44 feet two-by-four and required 

 two days' labor in construction. 



Yard Fences. — The question of cheap, durable, and serviceable fencing 

 for the small yards adjacent to the piggery is an important problem. 

 During the past, lumber in various forms has been converted into fences 

 of different styles for this purpose, but now its scarcity and high price 

 renders its use almost prohibitive. A tight board fence probably makes 

 the most perfect one for turning hogs. We have attempted to make a 

 suitable substitute, in large part, for the lumber except in the case 

 of the divisions between the boar-pens. The fences forming our small 

 pens are constructed of woven wire with two-by-six inch material at 

 bottom and top. The plan is shown in Fig. 48. Cedar posts are placed, 

 in this case, a little less than eight feet apart. (They should not be 

 more than this distance for pen fences.) The posts were notched out 

 at the bottom and top one inch deep the width of the two-by-six. 

 Thus, the two-by-sixes when firmly spiked in place, instead of being flush, 

 projected an inch out from the surface of the post. The 26-inch woven 

 wire was placed on the posts with top and bottom wires just touching 

 the two-by-sixes. The woven wire was not stapled to the end posts but 

 each strand brought around the post and wrapped on itself. The wire 

 fencing was also stapled to the intermediate cedar posts and the top 

 and bottom wires to the two-by sixes against which they rested. 



The woven wire used was special hog fence with seven lateral wires, top 

 and bottom wires No. 9 and intermediate No. 12. There are twenty- 

 eight No. 11 cross wires to the rod. The woven wire and two-by-sixes 

 make the fence thirty-eight inches high. This has furnished a cheap 

 fence, and after several seasons' use we are satisfied with it. It is 

 necessary to have the cross or upright wires spaced 6 or 7 inches apart 

 in order to confine the smaller pigs which go through the wider spaces 

 slipping the wires. But one repair has been made and that at a point 

 where a fiaw occurred in the wire. The openings of these pens consist 

 of doors which slide up and down in grooves at the sides, dropping 

 into slots at the bottom to prevent pigs from opening them. 



