LETTER HI. 27 



their rambling about in search of food they should be fed 

 regularly twice a day, at eight or nine o'clock in the 

 morning and four or five in the evening. They should 

 not have too much flesh in their meal, but if skim milk 

 could be substituted for flesh they would do better on 

 this diet. By over and injudicious feeding I have seen 

 bitches so feverish that their hair came ofi', and the whelps 

 when produced were scarcely worth keeping. It is a 

 good plan to give them a few Epsom salts in liquor, once 

 or twice a week before whelping. They are intended 

 more as an alterative than as physic. After whelping 

 I give a table spoonful of castor oil, with sheep's head 

 broth, or milk mixed with oatmeal, for two or three 

 days From that time there is little fear of their doing 

 well, and as the whelps increase in size the mothers will 

 become ravenous. I do not object then to their havmg 

 raw flesh occasionally, not in lumps or in large quantities, 

 but let the feeder cut most of the flesh from the bones, 

 and then give them the bones to pick. 



In selecting the whelps for keeping, take the longest 

 and heaviest, unless you are particular as to colour. Five 

 are a sufficient number for any bitch to rear if you wish 

 them to be of a good size, but for the first two days I 

 should leave six or seven with the mother, provided she 

 has abundance of milk, not otherwise. This is only to 

 provide against accidents, for bitches if young will often 

 overlay and KU their whelps. Be careful, however, not 

 to keep more than five with the mother, after two or 

 three days have elapsed at farthest, or you will spoil the 

 whole litter. If you want to raise your pack to a good 

 standard, which is not to be done without fine brood 

 bitches, keep only four whelps with the mother, all 



