188 - PARTURITION PRECAUTION. 



turn within a few days of her parturition, a sign 

 which demands attention. After she has become 

 heavy, she should be securely lodged by herself, 

 lest others injure her by lying upon her ; and, at 

 any rate, during the time of bringing forth, as other 

 swine would devour her offspring as they fell. Ac- 

 cording to the above breeding periods, the pigs will 

 come in the middle of January and of July ; in the 

 first month, with the spring before them, and their 

 nursing mother, in the interim, to defend them from 

 the winter's cold ; in the other, they are nurtured 

 in a warm season, weaned in the harvest-field, and 

 then enabled to endure the rigours of the approach- 

 ing winter. It has proved generally unsuccessful 

 to rear pigs in the winter season, although they may 

 be bred for roasters. 



SIGNS of approaching PARTURITION, in addition 

 to the one above noted swelling of the bags of milk, 

 decreased size of the belly, sleepiness. A vigilant 

 swineherd, solicitous to preserve all the pigs, will 

 watch and attend the farrowing sow, day and night, 

 because some sows are so unwieldy, or so careless, 

 as, perhaps at every farrowing, to lie upon, and 

 crush to death, a part of their young ; others, from 

 an irregular and vicious disposition, will devour a 

 part, or even all of them. As one precaution, the 

 breeding-sow ought not to be kept fat and heavy, 

 yet in good heart and full strength. Few keepers 

 will, or ever do, go the length of attending the sow, 

 satisfying themselves with the persuasion that she 

 will be safest left to her own care. To those who 

 are willing to undertake such an office, a hamper or 



