562 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[December 18, 1884. 
ment of pigs is the want of a system—a purpose and plan in the 
breeding, rearing, and general caie of them Slovenly practice, and 
careless easy-going work usually has its origin in undertakings of a 
plain and simple nature, and certainly pig-farming is beset with so 
little difficulty that upon the surface very little reason for much care 
is apparent. Yet there is undoubtedly a good and bad, a right and 
wrong way of doing it, and taken as it ought to be in connection 
with dairy farming, it quickly assumes a degree of importance that is 
worthy of our best attention. 
Porkers of about GO tbs., and bacon pigs of 250 to 300 lbs. dead 
weight, are required for household supply on the home farm. The 
small white Yorkshire breed are the best porkers, but for bacon a 
good local cross bred pig can be had by the exercise of due care in 
selection and breeding. We require a supply of porkers to be readj' for 
killing as the weather becomes cold in October, and pigs twelve to 
fourteen weeks old answer our purpose to begin with. Taking this as 
a basis for calculations, we find that the sow must be put to the boar 
about the middle of March so as to farrow early in July. But it seldom 
answers to depend upon one sow, nor need we do so ; far better is it 
to have a dozen or more sows to farrow in July and onwards, so as not 
only to insure a supply of porkers for home consumption, but an 
abundant surplus for sale. Porkers weighing from 50 to 70 lbs, that 
are known to have been carefully fed on sound wholesome food in¬ 
variably command a ready sale at the highest market prices. But 
then a farmer has first of all to afford proof to the dealers, or better 
still to the consumers, that his pigs have had nothing lut milk, corn, 
and vegetables. He has, in point of fact, to build up a reputation, 
then to sustain it by subsequent practice, and his chief difficulty 
afterwards will be to supply the demands made upon his stock of 
porkers throughout the cool period of the year. Pmpeatedly have we 
heard the remark, “ We cannot eat pork unless we know how it has 
been fed ; " nor can this feeling excite wonder when it is remembered 
how hunger impels pugs to consume any foul garbage given them. 
But the pork is then never really wholesome, and the man who 
calculates consequences will have nothing to do with such practices. 
Close calculations beforehand of results in connection with live 
stock are unsafe. There always must be a fair margin allowed for 
possible contingencies. Looking over a batch of porkers sufficiently 
forward for breeding last March, and which the owner ottered for 
sale, "we were tempted by the promising appearance of a young sow 
to offer £3 for it if the farmer would put it to the boar at once. 
Ample reason had we for satisfaction at his acceptance of our offer, 
for that sow had ten nice pigs at the expiration of sixteen weeks, 
most of which were sold in the autumn at £2 apiece. Three sows of 
the same age as the one we purchased were kept by the farmer for 
breeding. One of them proved barren, and the others did not 
rear so many pigs between them as that which we so fortunately 
secured. Mention is made of this matter to show how much uncer¬ 
tainty there is about breeding, as well as the wisdom of having 
several more sows than are really required, both to insure a full supply 
of porkers and to enable one to select enough good sows yearly for 
our requirements. By a good sow is meant a healthy, gentle, good- 
tempered, kindly animal, fond of its progeny, and careful not to lay 
upon or hurt them. These are matters in which sows differ materi¬ 
ally, and a sow that is savage with its young ones, that has weakness 
of the legs, or any other fault or blemish, should never be suffered to 
breed again. 
The sow should have a large lodge for farrowing, with sufficient 
short litter for a comfortable bed, and no more ; for it will collect all 
the litter it can get into a heap for a bed, and if the litter be long 
there is much risk of the pigs becoming entangled among it, and of 
their being laid upon and smothered. A spare diet of rather thin 
pollard and skim milk answers best for the sow for a week after 
farrowing, and afterwards the quantity may be increased ; and if 
there is any tendency to scour among the young pigs mix an ounca 
of sulphur in the food, and the two following days give a quarter of 
an ounce of bicarbonate of potash, subsequently adding a handful of 
salt occasionally to the food, or let the pigs have some water. As 
they become able to eat they should have access by means of a slip 
board to an outer sty and be fed separately from the sow. Castration 
should be done when they are from four to six weeks old, according 
to their condition, which also is the best guide as to the age for 
weaning, which should be at any time from six to ten weeks. 
After the weaning the pigs should have a sty with a slip board 
drawn up so that they can run out upon grass land at will, which 
tends to promote health, and with regular feeding on pollard and 
water or milk in the sty they thrive apace, our object then being not 
to fatten but to induce a quick, healthy, sturdy growth. If, however, 
upon an emergency it becomes necessary to force the pigs on quickly 
there is no difficulty in doing so by giving better food. In any case 
it is decidedly wrong to suffer pigs to sink into a state of semi- 
starvation for a time, and afterwards to feed them specially for 
killing. More food is then consumed in putting on flesh, to say 
nothing of fat, than is required to keep them always in a healthy, 
sleek, but not fat condition. 
HO.JO/ (To be continued.) 
^ WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Uorte and Hand Laiour .—Now that the weather has become un¬ 
settled, and wet days are of frequent occurrence, home farmers having 
horse gear in a building for two, three, or four horses, according to the 
power required, are able to turn horses and men to profitable account for 
grinding Wheat for the household supply of flour, and Oats, Barley, Peas, 
and Beans for calves, pigs, and poultry. We thus have no idle days, how¬ 
ever broken the weather may continue, and we embody true economy by 
combining this practice with the growth of all corn, except Maize, that is 
required for home consumption. Heavy payments for corn and fodder 
spoil the balance sheet, and are a sure indication of mismanagement. Nor 
should there be a great outlay upon oilcake, for home-made meal from 
home-grown corn, combined in a judicious mixture of pulped roots and 
chaffed fodder, is cattle food cheap, pure, wholesome, and so nourishing 
that we require none other, and are able to decline the offers of agents, 
merchants, dealers, or whatever other euphonious titles the host of middle¬ 
men may prefer being known by. Corn-crushing should also be done. 
The use of whole corn among ca'tle should not be allowed, for they can 
consume much mere of it at once than they can digest, proof of which we 
have repeatedly had in the whole corn to be seen in the droppings of cattle 
subjected to such faulty treatment. 
Any possible reduction of horse power upon the home farm must always 
receive our best attention. To this end, if there is a stream of water of 
sufficient volume to drive either an overshot wheel or a turbine, it ought 
certainly to be turned to account, and it should not be forgotten that by 
the storage of the water of a little brook in ponds we have a power in 
reserve for use at our convenience, and by means of which w'e may dp all 
the grinding work of the farm, the estate work of sawfing and puinpirig ; 
and we can ah’o generate electricity, and convey it by wires for lighting 
the mansion, the outbuildings, offices, carriage drives, and entrance lodges, 
and also indulge in all necessary lighting of farm buildings, lor the cost 
after the first outlay would be merely nominal. This important matter of 
electric lighting is receiving the attention it merits upon several large 
estates, and mention is made of it here as coming within the province of 
the home farmer. Tne apparatus is very simple, and the knowledge 
required for its manipulation is soon acquired by an intelligent person. 
The cost of motive power for the generation of electricity is the only 
possible hindrance to its use. It is therefore apparent that a stream of 
water at once enables us to overcome that difficulty. We believe that the 
late Dr. Siemens used actually to turn the wires of his field fencing to 
account for the conveyance of an electric current to different parts of his 
estate. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Lincolnshire Sheep {Inquirer ).—The average price of thoroughbred 
Lincoln rams may be stated at £15, and the ewes at about a third of that 
sum. Sheep of this breed undoubtedly have the advantage of others both 
in weight of fleece and carcase, but this is counterbalanced by the in¬ 
feriority of both the wool and mutton to that of several other breeds. We 
consider Shropshires preferable to Lincolns for exportation to South Africa, 
both for superior hardiness and quality of mutton. In price they have 
ruled considerably above the average of the Lincolns at the sales of recent 
years, the Shropshire average being now £26. The quality of wool of 
colonial growth is now so high that we should question the wisdom of the 
exportation of Lincolns, except for cross-breeding purposes. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camdex Square, London. 
Lat.51° 32'40" N.; Long. 0° 8'0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATB. 
» A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
B 
*5 
M 
1884. 
December. 
Barome¬ 
ter at 320 
and Sea 
Level 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
1 Temp, of 
Soil at 
1 1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
snn. 
On 
grass. 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Sunday . 
7 
29.936 
47.9 
46.4 
S.W. 
43.9 
55.5 
45.4 
62.9 
40.2 
0.204 
Monday . 
8 
29.804 
47.8 
45.9 
S.W. 
45.2 
55.V 
47.4 
64.2 
44.9 
0.071 
Tuesday. 
9 
29.954 
40.4 
39.1 
s.w. 
44.5 
48.4 
39.8 
46.3 
36.5 
0.114 
Wednesday .. 
10 
30.120 
42.7 
40.6 
s. 
42.8 
49.1 
34.8 
.•50.0 
29.7 
0.214 
Thursday .... 
11 
29.652 
47.2 
44.9 
s. 
43.5 
50.3 
41.7 
54.7 
40.1 
0.157 
Friday. 
12 
30.133 
42.0 
40.4 
w. 
43.8 
48.G 
39 9 
61.6 
32.7 
_ 
Saturday .... 
13 
30.157 
51.6 
49.2 
w. 
44.2 
55.0 
412 
57.0 
37.6 
— 
29.965 
45.7 
43.8 
44.0 
51.8 
41.5 
5S2 
37.4 
0.760 
REMARKS. 
7tli.—Fair till afternoon, then wild and rainy. 
8th.—Dull and damp all day. 
9th.—Wet morning, dull rest of day. 
10th.—Fine early, shower at noon, fine afternoon, very wet evening. 
11th.—Fine morning, wet afternoon and evening 
12th.—Fine and bright early, fair till 4.30 P.M., heavy rain till 7 P.M., fair evening. 
18th.—Dull aU day. 
A rainy and almost sunless week. Temperature about 5" above that of the preceding 
week, and more than 7° above the average.—G. J. Symons. 
