HINTS ON SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF SWINE. 333 



which sets the pigs back several weeks, if it does not kill them. At the age of 10 weeks 

 the pigs are weaned and such as are suitable we ship or reserve for breeders ; the others 

 we castrate and spay, and place with the herd that is being handled for pork. Some- 

 times the pigs when a few days old are troubled by their tails and ears becoming sore. 

 If not attended to promptly the tails frequently come off near the body. At the first 

 appearance of the sores we wash the tails and ears with castile soap and anoint them with 

 lard, in which a little carbolic acid and sulphur have been incorporated. Occasionally 

 sows are observed to lie on their bellies and refuse to let the pigs suck ; this is because 

 the pigs bite the teats with their sharp, briery tusks ; remove them with a pair of nippers, 

 and the trouble will be removed and the pigs will be none the worse for the operation. 

 Whether pigs are being bred for breeders or for pork the sows should be kept separate 

 from the pork hogs, nor should many sows be allowed to carry their pigs in the same lot, 

 for the reason that the oldest and strongest pigs will whip the smaller ones and appro- 

 priate their share of the milk as well as their own. Pigs that are destined to be killed for 

 pork we place in the clover fields, and give them daily a feed of dry corn to keep them 

 gentle and to push them forward. Pigs farrowed in March should, if properly handled, 

 average 200 to 250 pounds by the middle of November. Those that come later are car- 

 ried through the winter and killed the following winter or fattened and sold in June. 



"S. L. GRAHAM & SON." 



The Messrs. Graham have our thanks for their methods in detail. 

 The antiseptic mixture (wood ashes, charcoal, salt and sulphur) which 

 they use is of much more importance than many suppose; hogs fed 

 liberally on green stuff, and given free access to simple preventives of 

 this kind, are the last ones to succumb to attacks of cholera and other 

 dread diseases to which the hog tribe is subject. The plan of changing 

 food at frequent intervals, to keep the appetite sharp, should be empha- 

 sized ; too many expect a hog to thrive on one particular kind of diet, 

 and think all that is necessary is to. give them plenty of it. 



Small Yorkshires and Berkshires, 



"BERMUDA PARK PLACE, GRISWOLDVILLE, GA., Aug. 14, 1888. 

 # * # * 



' ' We have had some experience both at the North and in the South in breeding, and 

 find that this section Middle Georgia offers the same advantages for hog raising that is 

 found at the North. It is true that some kinds of feed, such as corn, are more expensive, 

 but as a compensation, so much is not needed. The pastures or fields furnish more or 

 less sustenance at all seasons of the year, and are peculiarly rich in the fall, just before 

 the fattening season ; this lightens the expense of corn feeding. 



"We have made a specialty of Berkshires and Small Yorkshires. Other breeds 

 would doubtless do as well. In the Berkshire, we have size and weight; in the Yorkshire 

 a compact form and quick growth. They make a good cross for fattening purposes. We 

 keep such numbers only as the farm will support. We have the sour milk from a dairy, 

 and can manage five hogs and pigs to each cow in milk. This gives us the coarse slops 

 for the larger hogs, and pure milk for the pigs, which are fed separately. We feed little 

 grain in the summer, only enough to keep the stock growing. 



"We breed for two purposes for sale as breeders and for use on the plantation. 

 We do not breed or dress for the shows. We have registered hogs that will go into the 

 tub this winter. It is cheaper and easier to raise and fatten a thoroughbred Yorkshire 

 than any grade known to us. In order to secure health we have the hog lots on a hill 

 side, with pens and sheds at the upper end, and an abundance of pure spring water at 



