52 



THE BREEDING AND MANAGEMENT OF PIGS. 



On this part of my subject I feel more confidence in speak- 

 ing, as although I have not had to deal with any very large 

 quantity of dairy offal — during the twenty-five years in which I 

 have paid considerable attention to the breeding and rearing of 

 pigs — yet I have found skim-milk of such immense advantage, 

 not only for the young pigs, but for getting up show pigs (and, 

 to win prizes under the present system of judging, they must be 

 much got up), that I have no hesitation in saying that dairy pro- 

 duce and attention are the two best allies of the successful pig 

 rearer, feeder, and exhibitor. It is scarcely necessary to weary 

 you with a long and minute account of the way in which I man- 

 age my pigs, as this has so often been treated upon in one or 

 other of our stock or agricultural papers. Briefly stated, the 

 objects at which I have aimed have been to procure the best 

 possible pigs of their variety, and rear them in as natural a 

 manner as possible to obtain complete success. I am now 

 speaking of pigs for stock purposes. Of course the treatment 

 of pigs for the show pen will vary somewhat, as with many ex- 

 hibitors expense is no object; but even for this purpose it will 

 be found advisable to keep the sires, the dams, and the bon- 

 hams in good store condition. Next to good food, with milk 

 for the young pigs, I know of no greater aid in the attainment 

 of a healthy state in pig life than exercise, which also tends to 

 develop muscle and lean meat, instead of fat, thus causing them 

 to approach more nearly to the beau ideal mg of the bacon-curer, 

 I would even go so far as to say that if pigs of the small and 

 early maturing varieties had been forced to take a certain 

 amount of exercise when they were young, instead of being 

 forced with fattening 4 food, there would have been less reason for 

 complaining of the small litters which they reared and of the 

 much greater proportion of fat than of lean meat in their carcasses. 

 Skim milk may be beneficially employed as soon as the sow has 

 finished farrowing. Two or three pints of it may be heated, 

 mixed with sharps, and given to the sow new milk warm. In 



