250 Journal of Agriculture. Yictoria. [10 April, 1912. 



to the belief that it is advisable to select the boar when it is young; if 

 it be possible to see it on its dam, and to see its sire, so much the better. 

 We will, therefore, assume that the delivery of the boar follows the 

 weaning of it. It should be placed with other pigs of about the same 

 age, and fed generously on pollard with a little barley meal added ; this 

 two or three times a day ; and then between the morning and the midday 

 meal give them a few peas ox a little whole wheat or oats. If skim milk 

 can be obtained, the young pigs will pay as much for it as will any other 

 kind of stock, and further, they will make far greater progress with than 

 without it. A run in a small paddock or enclosure for a few minutes each 

 day will help to keep the pigs in health. This system may be followed 

 until the young boar is some five months old, when any unspayed sow pigs 

 in the lot should be weeded out ; the food may be increased in richness by 

 the addition of more meal, without any fear of the boar becoming too fat, 

 provided sufficient exercise be allowed ; this is most important, as good 

 feet and ankles can only be retained in this way, and further, as soon as 

 the boar has been used, it is seldom possible or advisable to allow him 

 much liberty." 



As strength of bone without coarseness is a most desirable feature, 

 the best way to obtain this is by mixing with the feed daily about a 

 tablespoonful of bone meal. Repeated trials have demonstrated that the 

 density or breaking strength of the bones in those pigs fed bone meal is 

 more than double that of those not fed bone meal. If the boar has been 

 well reared he may be used for service at eight months, sometimes they 

 are used before that age. It is a mistake to let him run with the sows, 

 the litters are smaller, and not so strong, and the vigour of th^boar is 

 impaired from the too frequent service of the sows. He shoulcf be kept 

 in a special enclosure; when the sow has been in use a day or two put 

 her into the boar's sty, and remove her after one complete service. Care 

 must be taken in handling the boar, never trust him, but don't ill-use him. 

 Under this system a boar will serve fifty sows in a season, and they are 

 known to work up to 150. The food requirements of the boar depend 

 largely on his age, and the amount of work he has to perform. He must 

 be kept in a vigorous healthy condition, not allowed to get too fat. If 

 he has plenty of clover or lucerne he will require very little grain. The 

 more work he has to do the more grain feed will he require. If he is 

 used too frequently the litters may be fewer in number and less vigorous, 

 but on the other hand a long rest is not likely to be productive of the best 

 results. The generative organs are in th^ most healthy condition when in 

 regular use. If carefully managed the boar may give satisfaction for 

 eight years or more. When finished with the cheapest way of disposing of 

 him is to destroy and bury him, for it will not pay to fatten him. 



Selection of the Sow. 



The sow need not necessarily be pure bred provided she is of a good 

 type. She should bo selected from a prolific mother, as fecundity is 

 hereditary. The teats should number at least twelve, fully developed 

 (any with defective teats should be discarded), set well apart, even in size, 

 and the front teats well forward on the body. The number of teats does 

 net indicate always the number of pigs she is likely to have. Sometimes- 

 sows with ten or eleven teats will have big litters. 



