462 LIVE-STOCK. 



two hours during the middle of the day for rest and chewing the 

 cud — time for which is quite as necessary as time to feed. 



— Keep them in sheltered sheds, or better in good warm stables, 

 well fed and carded frequently. Poor oxen or young cattle are a 

 disgrace to any farmer. Do not neglect shoeing in freezing weather. 



Swine. — The quantity of manure which a few hogs will make, 

 if plenty of muck and litter be thrown from time to time into their 

 pen and the whole be kept under cover, is very great. 



— Separate sows that will farrow from other swine. Allow 

 breeding sows, before and after farrowing, potatoes or other succu- 

 lent food, with bran or linseed meal. At least two weeks before 

 their time for farrowing give them clean, well-littered sties, but not 

 straw enough to endanger the young by overlaying of the mother. 

 A projecting shelf, eight inches high, on the sides of the pen, will 

 allow the pigs to escape much danger from this source. 



— Do not feed too high before the young pigs are ten days old. 



— Pigs designed for pork next fall should be separated from the 

 sows as soon as they will eat readily. Keep them in moderately 

 close quarters, as, when running about in large enclosures, they 

 will expend a great deal of material without adding proportionately 

 to their growth. There is nothing better than milk, oat and barley 

 meal and wheat flour unbolted to make a pig grow. It is some- 

 times more economical to feed wheat flour than oat meal to pigs. 



— As soon as green peas are fit to feed, let the swine have a 

 good supply. Keep shoats in a thriving condition. When they 

 are confined in close quarters, mow an armful of red clover for 

 them once or twice a day. Where whey is fed, it will make much 

 better swill to mingle meal or shorts with it, and allow fermenta- 

 tion to commence before feeding. Swine of all kinds hke clean 

 and pure water, as well as any other animals ; and if they could al- 

 ways have access to it, they would not probably " wallow in the mire." 



— Keep no pig over a year old for fattening if the most profit is 

 looked for. 



— Low prices causes farmer to neglect their pigs. It is poor 

 policy. If kept at all, they should be kept well. Let them search 

 for their food, run on the stubbles, pick up wormy fruit in the or- 

 chard, and eat weeds and grass. At night they have a feed of 

 soaked corn, and go to sleep contentedly with a full stomach. They 

 should have constant access to fresh water, and an external appli- 

 cation will be gratefully received. 



Dogs. — Unite with your neighbors in urging your representatives 

 in the Legislature to protect sheep-raising from the ravages of de- 

 structive curs by strong laws. 



