THE SOW : SELECTIOX AND MANAGEMENT I I3 



that in case unforeseen misfortune overtakes him he will 

 be left unable to gird up and make another trial. 



Serenity, undisturbed by fretful restlessness, should be 

 characteristic in a good sow. Any breeder of expe- 

 rience will know just what is meant when it is said that 

 a sow is "motherly," but the exact meaning is difficult 

 to set down in words. This maternal manifestation has 

 an important bearing on success with a litter, and the 

 dam's promise in this regard should have weight in the 

 purchase. In making a selection the teats should be 

 examined to discover that there are a dozen, well formed, 

 not too small or obscure, and giving indications of sup- 

 plying abundant milk. 



\Vhere it is found desirable to select sows from dif- 

 ferent herds greater care is essential to prevent intro- 

 duction of disease than would be necessary if they came 

 from a single farm known to be free from disease. In 

 the former case, or if they have been shipped a con- 

 siderable distance, it is advisable to keep them isolated 

 from each other, if possible, for a period of three or 

 four weeks, or until there is no danger of the introduc- 

 tion of disease by any sow. In any event it is well to 

 ha\e them di])ped or sprayed upon their arrival. Prac- 

 tical suggestions regarding quarantining and dipping 

 may be found in a succeeding chapter relating to that 

 subject. If facilities at hand do not permit using all 

 necessary precautions the buyer will find it safer to make 

 his selection from a nearby herd, where he may be 

 certain that his sows are purchased free from both 

 disease and vermin. 



