134 THE FAT OF THE LAND 



of the house for the brood sows, which house 

 must now be described. 



It was a low building, 150 by 30 feet, divided 

 by a six-foot alley-way into halves, each 150 by 

 12 feet. Each of these halves was again divided 

 into fifteen pens 10 by 12 feet, with a 10 by 30 

 run for each pen. This was the general plan for 

 the brood-house for thirty sows. At the east end 

 of this house was a room 15 by 30 feet for cook- 

 ing food and storing supplies for a few days. 

 The building was of wood with plank floors. 

 It stands there yet, and has answered its pur- 

 pose ; but it was never quite satisfactory. I 

 wanted cement floors and a more sightly build- 

 ing. I shall probably replace it next year. 

 When it was built the weather was unfavorable 

 for laying cement, and I did not wish to wait 

 for a more clement season. The house and the 

 fences for the runs cost $2100. 



On the 6th of March Thompson called me to 

 one of the temporary pens and showed me a 

 family of the prettiest new-born animals in the 

 world, a fine litter of no less than nine new- 

 farrowed pigs. I felt that the fourth industry 

 was fairly launched, and that we could now work 

 and wait. 



