104 HARRIS ON THE PIG. 



throw her two or three ears of corn a day. She should 

 not be too fat, but there is not one farmer in a thousand 

 who ever falls into this error. Let her have plenty of 

 exercise, and if she is fully half fat by the time she comes 

 in, all the better. If she is a good mother, nearly all her 

 accumulated fat will find its way to the little ones in the 

 milk before they are six weeks old. 



For two or three weeks before she is expected to far- 

 row, let the sow be put in a pen by herself at night, so 

 that she may become accustomed to it. She may be al- 

 lowed to run out during the day, but should always be 

 fed separately in the pen, and in this way she will soon 

 come to regard the pen as her own, and will go in as soon 

 as the door is open. Let no harsh word be spoken, or a 

 kick or a blow, on any provocation, be resorted to. 



The pen should have a rail around the side, about 

 six inches from the floor, and eight or ten inches from the 

 sides of the pen, so that if she makes her bed near the 

 sides of the pen, as she almost invariably will, the rail 

 will afford a space for the little ones to slip under, and 

 thus prevent their being crushed against the sides of the 

 pen. As, at this season, the weather is warm, she will 

 need but little straw. The better plan is to put two or 

 three times as much straw as is needed into the pen a 

 week or ten days before she is expected to pig. By lying 

 on it she will make it soft, and this is very desirable. If 

 any of it becomes wet or dirty, remove it from time to 

 time when the sow is out. As the time approaches, she 

 will select a particular spot, and " make a bed." When 

 she is eating, or out of the pen, examine the bed, and see 

 that the sides are not too hard, or compacted together too 

 closely, and that they are not more than four or five 

 inches high ; if so, remove a little of the straw. It is 

 better to have too little than too much. After this, the 

 sow should be left to herself. With gentle thorough- 

 breds, that are accustomed to being petted, we keep a 



