SWINE AND THEIR MANAGEMENT. 943 



valuable as the mother, can be sold at one hundred dollars each 

 any time the owner will take it. 



No. 2, called the Sholenbarger sow, has farrowed in seven 

 years ten litters of pigs, ninety-four in all. Sixty-two of these 

 have been raised, and sold for $2,460. 



The hog-raiser should watch his breeding stock carefully, 

 and when he finds a combination of valuable qualities in a sow 

 should not part with her as long as she is capable of breeding. 

 I have now in my possession two Poland China sows sisters 

 that have each raised two litters of pigs. One of them has 

 proved a kind mother and an excellent suckler, while the 

 other is such a poor milker she can scarcely raise a litter of 

 pigs, and I shall fatten her this fall ; yet a stranger would be 

 more likely to select her than the other one, which I know to 

 be worth twenty-five dollars the more. A large, well-developed 

 sow, which has proved herself a prolific and good breeder, a 

 careful mother, and a good suckler, is often a better investment 

 than a hundred dollars in bank. 



When the sow is to be bred twice a year she should have 

 the best of care, but should not be fed on corn exclusively, or 

 allowed to become fat, but should run on grass, and have a little 

 corn and good slop. 



Diseases of Swine. I have given much thought and 

 study to this subject, and consulted all the authorities at my 

 command, and the more I have investigated it the stronger the 

 conviction has become that the fanner must avoid loss by pre- 

 ventive and sanitary measures rather than by medication. I would 

 not affirm that he who manages his herd wisely will always 

 escape disease, for in spite of his best efforts he is liable to u 

 visit from an epidemic; but I have never known dosing to be 

 of much benefit in such cases, and I have little faith in any of 

 the so-called specifics offered for these diseases. I have deter- 

 mined, therefore, to speak only of causes and preventives, con- 

 fident that the enormous losses from diseases of swine, which 

 in a single year have reached fifty millions of dollars, can be 

 greatly reduced if farmers will give more attention to this im- 

 portant subject. 



