SWINE 233 



other hogs that are infected with it. The germs may be 

 carried from one pen to another, or from one farm to an- 

 other, on one's clothes, by dogs, by running water or by any 

 other method by which particles of dust or disease germs 

 might be carried about. 



Preventive Measures. — If hogs are kept in clean, health- 

 ful quarters, given plenty of exercise, and fed, except when 

 fattening, enough muscle-forming food, as clover pasture, 

 clover hay, milk, shorts, etc., to keep them in good, vigor- 

 ous condition, they will be better able to resist the disease 

 than if they are kept in less thrifty condition. If cholera 

 breaks out in the community, one should use every pre- 

 caution to prevent the germs from being brought on the 

 farm; and, if it gets very close, it is well to dispose of all 

 the hogs that are well and fit to sell. Chances of loss may 

 be greatly reduced by separating the hogs. 

 Questions: 



1. What are some of the advantages of pork production over 

 the production of other classes of meat? What are some of the dis- 

 advantages? 



2. What can you say of the possibilities of pork production? 



3. Tell all you can about hog cholera. 

 Arithmetic: 



1. What is the value of a hog weighing 225 lbs. at 53^c. per pound? 



2. A sow has 7 pigs in a litter. When 8 months old the pigs weigh 

 200 lbs. each. What is the weight of all? How much are they worth 

 at 53^c. per pound? 



3. If a bushel of corn will produce 10 lbs. of pork, how much 

 will the feed for the production of a pound of pork cost, if com is worth 

 35c. per bushel? 



THE BROOD SOW AND PIGS 



The brood sow and her care and feed determine the 

 cost of pigs at birth. In the first place a sow of good type, 

 and of the breed desired, should be selected. If several 

 fitters of pigs are raised, it is well to have some method of 

 marking the young pigs, so that when they are grown one 

 can tell from which litter they came. It is desirable to have 

 brood sows that will have large litters of pigs; and if one 

 selects brood sows from a large litter one is more likely to 

 get a good number of pigs from each sow than if sows were 

 selected from a bunch of hogs without regard to whether 

 they came from large litters or not. 



