160 SOUTHERN PORK PRODUCTION 



same as one, and since the sow must be maintained, the 

 additional feed cost is not much greater. The great 

 trouble has been that the food supply is always more 

 abundant through the summer and fall, while it is gener- 

 ally scarce during the late winter and early spring. The 

 aim should be to grow two litters a year, but to do this 

 ■will require greater skill in the arranging for feed and in 

 the caring for fall pigs, which are, as a rule, a little more 

 difficult to raise than the spring pigs. 



Little pigs need exercise. — Provision should always be 

 made to see that the little pigs do not lack for exercise. 

 Fortunately, under pasture systems of raising, provision 

 is automatically made for exercise. The reason we desire 

 the little pigs to have exercise is that the bone may be 

 developed and that they may have ample constitutional 

 capacity. 



Runts. — In nearly every litter there is one runt, and 

 frequently there are two or three. When the litters are 

 quite large it may be economy to kill these runts. If the 

 litter is small, it pays to worry along v.'ith them, and 

 after a time all of the runts can be placed either in a lot 

 or grazing patch to themselves, where they can be given 

 special attention and feed. The occurrence of runts can- 

 not be avoided, but it can be mitigated by ample and 

 judicious feeding of the pregnant sow. In by far the 

 majority of cases the lack of size has resulted from a lack 

 of nutrition, and it is easily overcome if means can be 

 made for special nourishment for a time for the runts. 



Marking the litters. — It is desirable to mark the litters 

 in the case of pure-bred swine in order that the ancestry 

 may be definitely known. Perhaps the easiest system of 



