SWINE MANAGEMENT 159 



to be dusty and cause lung troubles. If the place is in- 

 clined to be damp, such materials as sawdust, dry sand 

 and straw should be used freely. If the place is already 

 inclined to be too dry and dusty, fresh sawdust, cinders 

 and straw may be used to advantage. 



The herdsman. — Other things being equal, the owner 

 himself makes the best herdsman. In addition to the 

 experience, the herdsman must have a natural love for 

 his pigs. A noticeable feature of a good herdsman is 

 that he soon knows accurately each individual in the 

 herd, not only knowing its physical conformation, but 

 also its behavior and ability to respond to treatment. 

 Painstaking care and constant attention are called for 

 from the herdsman. He should be a willing worker, with 

 intuition and judgment, especially at such times as far- 

 rowing, when the loss of a litter means the loss of at 

 least six months' time with one sow, which, counting 

 feeding and interest on the investment, soon amounts to 

 an appreciable sum. Good herdsmen are scarce, but if 

 one desires a good one and can secure one at a little 

 additional cost, it is generally an economical investment. 



One litter or two. — Something like half of the sows are 

 only permitted to have but one litter a year, which comes 

 generally in the spring. Since the period of gestation is 

 only about 112 days, and since pigs can be weaned readily 

 at two months of age, it is entirely possible and feasible 

 to grow two litters a year, two months being allowed for 

 the sow to rest and become rebred in. It is not eco- 

 nomical for the sow to raise but one litter, and on any 

 well-regulated farm two litters will be obtained. So far 

 as the investment is concerned, two litters cost about the 



