THE FARMEKS' REGISTER. 



561 



FECUNDITY OF RATS. 



From Fotliergill's Philosophy of Naturiil History. 



The principle ot'increase is much more powerlul, 

 active and eHeclive in tlie common gray rat, (nu/s 

 decinmnus, L.) ihan in any other animal ol e(iual 

 size. 



This (leelructive quadruped is continually under 

 the furor of animal love. The lemale carries her 

 young (or one nionih only ; and she seldom or ne- 

 ver produces a less number than twelve, butsome- 

 (imes as many as eighteen at a liner : the medium 

 number may be taken for an average ; and the |)e- 

 riod of gestation, though of so short continuance, 

 is confined to no particular season of the year. 

 The embraces of the male are admitted immediate- 

 ly after the birth of the vindictive progeny ; and it 

 is a tact which I have ascertained beyond any 

 doubt, that the female suckles her young ones al- 

 most to the very moment when another litter is 

 dropping into the world as their successors. 



A celebrated Yorkshire rat-catcher, whom 1 

 have occasionally employed, one day detected and 

 killed a large lemale rat that was in the act of 

 suckling tioelve young ones, which had attained a 

 very considerable growth; nevertheless, upon open- 

 ing her swollen body he found thirteen quick young, 

 that were within a lew days of their birth ! Sup- 

 posing, there/ore, that the rat produces ten litters 

 in the course of a year, and that no check on their 

 increase should operate destructively for the space 

 or four years, a number not lar short of three mil- 

 lions might be produced Irom a single pair in that 

 time! 



Now, the consequence of such an active and 

 productive principle of increase, if suffered conti- 

 nually to operate without check, would soon be fa- 

 tally obvious. But the same Almighty Being 

 who perceived a necessity lor their existence, 

 has also restricted their numbers within proper 

 bounds, by creating to them many powerful ene- 

 mies ; and still more effectually by establishing 

 a propensity in themselves, the gratification of 

 which has continually the effect of lessening 

 their numbers, even more than any of their liDreign 

 enemies. The male rat has an insatiable thirst 

 for the blood of his own ofispring. The lemale, 

 being aware of this passion, hides her young in 

 such secret places as she supposes likely to escajie 

 notice or discovery, till her progeny are old 

 enough to venture forth and stand upon their 

 own energies; but, notwithstanding this precau- 

 tion, the male rat frequently discovers them, and 

 destroys as many as he can ; nor is the delence of 

 the mother any very effectual protection, since she 

 herself sometimes liills a victim to her temerity 

 and her maternal tenderness. 



Besides this propensity to the destruction of 

 their own offspring, when other food fails them, 

 rats hunt down and prey upon each other, with the 

 most ferocious and desperate avidity ; insomuch, 

 that it not unfrequently happens, in a colony of 

 these destructive animals, that a single male, of 

 more than ordinary powers, alter having overcome 

 and devoured all competitors, with the exception 

 ofalew females, reigns the sole, bloody, and much 

 dreaded tyrant over a considerable territory, dwell- 

 ing by himself in some solitary hole, and never ap- 

 pearing abroad without spreading terror and dis- 

 may even amongst the femalcB whose embraces he 

 Beeks. I 



Vol. IX.-54 



In this relentless and bloody character may be 

 found one of the most powerful and |)osiiive checks 

 which operate to the depression of this species 

 within proper bounds, — a character which attaches 

 in greater or less degree, to the whole mus genus, 

 and in which we may readily perceive the cause 

 of the extirpation of the old black rats of England, 

 (?/ms raltus, L.) (or the large gray rats having su- 

 perior bodily powers, united to the same carnivo- 

 rous propensities, would easily conquer and destroy 

 iheir black epponents wherever they could be 

 lound, and wherever they met to dispute the title 

 of possession or sovereignly. 



MANAGEMENT AND DISEASES OF HOGS. 



To Cliilton Allan, President of the Kentucky State 

 Agricultural Society. 



From the Franklin Farmer (1838.) 



1 have seen, in a late number of the Franklin 

 Farmer, your circular address, calling upon the 

 li^iends of improvement for essays upon a number 

 of important subjects relating to the agricultural 

 interest and pursuits of the state. Approving 

 heartily the noble objects of the State Society, 

 I read your address vfith great satisfaction ; and 

 I cannot but believe, that tfie action of the society 

 will bring about the most gratifying results in 

 improving the science of agriculture and hence 

 the condition of the husbandman ; for I cannot 

 doubt, that every one who desires improvement 

 himself and who would derive useflil information 

 Irom others, will hold himself bound to contribute 

 something to the general stock of knowledge. 

 There are lew intelligent farmers who do not 

 know something unknown to others, and it is by 

 an interchange of sentiment and opinion as well 

 as of experience and practice, that the farmers of 

 the country will be able to see and reject the er- 

 rors of their husbandry and adopt those modes 

 instead, which lead to improvement and success. 

 In this view, I offer an humble tribute, which at 

 least has the merit of a well meant design of 

 benefiting others in some respects. 



The commencement of our prosperity may be 

 dated firom the period when our agriculturists 

 turned their attention to the raising of stock (or 

 export; and as the consumption and demand 

 have increased in a ratio with the increase of 

 population and wants of the people of the United 

 States, the business has become a source of 

 wealth to Kentucky. And no where has the 

 improvement of stock been so great and so gene- 

 ral, nor more zeal and perseverance raan'ilijsted to 

 improve the breeds of horses, asses, cattle, sheep 

 and hogs. In enumerating these descriptions 

 of stock, the last is not the least important in 

 bringing wealth to tlie state, and should be looked 

 to with a fostering care and attention. 



Under this belief, I humbly 6;ubmit to the pub- 

 lic through you, the following observations on the 

 management of hogs, with some remarks on 

 some of their diseases. 



In giving my views on these subjects, I deem 

 it important to state some of the various ways of 

 raising, feeding and fattening hogs in different 

 sections of the country, which, according to cir- 

 cumstances, soil and climate, will differ; and 



