19G HARRIS ON THE PIG. 



of new milk. And here we may say that some men do not 

 seem to know how to scald bran or meal properly. We have 

 seen them put the meal in the pail and pour on the water, 

 and then fill up with cold water at once, and without pre- 

 vious stirring. The proper way is to put say two quarts of 

 the bran or meal into the pail, pour on the boiling water, 

 and stir it up until every particle is wet or moistened ; 

 and the longer it remains before the cold water is added, 

 the better. The object is to soften and cook it, and make 

 it more easily digestible. When properly prepared, it 

 should look like fresh milk. Do not say that the pigs 

 will not pay for all this trouble. It is a great mistake. In 

 the first place, it is very little trouble, and in the second, 

 the future growth of the pigs depends very much on their 

 being well cared for while young. 



When the pigs are two weeks old, a little shallow 

 trough should be made for them. Nothing is better for 

 this purpose than three or four feet of a tin eaves trough, 

 turned up at the ends. Nail it to the floor, so that the 

 pigs will not upset it ; and, if possible, put it where the 

 sow cannot get at it. Then put in half a pint or so of 

 sweet milk. Let them drink and waste what they will 

 of it, but always clean it out before fresh food is added. 

 Try to teach them early to eat their meals promptly, and 

 then lie down to sleep. Give them a small handful of oats, 

 or, better still, three or four tablespoonfuls of oat-meal, in- 

 creasing the quantity daily, but never giving more than 

 they will eat up clean. If fed too much at one time, and 

 too little at others, it will produce scours, and retard the 

 growth of the pigs. At three weeks old, a litter of eight 

 or ten pigs will eat a quart of good oats four times a day. 

 They seem particularly fond of cracking the oats and eat- 

 ing out the kernels. 



After the first week or ten days the sow should have 

 richer food say two quarts of fine middlings, and a quart 

 of oat or corn-meal, three times a day. Let her have all 



