94 SWINE IN AMERICA 



season, and the pasture, which may be an acre, or less, 

 should afford him water, shade, grass, alfalfa, or other 

 succulent food. 



A pen or fence sufficiently high and strong to restrain 

 the other hogs of the farm cannot be depended on to 

 keep the boar in place, and, if opportunity offers, he may 

 soon become extremely unruly ; consequently, it is much 

 the best to keep him from the first in an inclosure which 

 will afford him no practice in the art of breaking out. A 

 boar that has once learned a bad habit, especially that of 

 breaking from his inclosure, will thereafter be a great 

 deal more difficult to manage, and sometimes one which 

 would otherwise have been entirely tractable is made dif- 

 ficult of restraint because the fence has been too weak, or 

 in some other way he has been permitted to escape. If 

 his quarters are sufficiently isolated from those of other 

 hogs, especially sows and sow pigs — some of which are 

 likely to be in heat most of the time — he will usually be 

 quiet and gentle; in fact, a pretty well-behaved hog, 

 tiiough much depends upon his natural disposition and 

 more upon the treatment given him. Aged boars are 

 sometimes disposed to viciousness and to use their tusks, 

 but even then they are no more dangerous than the gen- 

 tlest bull or stallion may be, and, of course, neither is de- 

 sirable or intended for a household pet or a dooryard 

 ornament. 



AGE FOR SERVICE 



As to the age at which the boar should commence 

 service the best rule is to avoid service during imma- 



