THE BLACK DORSET PIG. 475 



should farrow twice, in January or February, and June or July ; 

 the earlier the better. The first pigs, arriving when the 

 weather is probably very cold, require great care and attention, 

 and the dam should be fed on warm food ; the young ones are 

 fit to wean in six or eight weeks, and can either be grazed at 

 once, or let run for a year (being kept growing at a small cost) 

 and then fattened, the latter probably being the more profitable 

 course, especially when a dairy is kept. 



We doubt if they are as capable of bearing exposure or 

 sudden changes of temperature as those breeds provided with 

 more protection in the way of coat. The absence of hair is 

 certainly a drawback when the pigs have to get their own living 

 in a straw-yard, but does not interfere when the animals are 

 kept under cover and always warm. We have been particularly 

 struck with the absence of hair in the pigs shown at Islington, 

 many of these being from the Hammoon herd. They are 

 capable of producing extraordinary weights for age, but in these 

 overfed animals the flesh is soft and blubbery. 



