154 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
December 4. 
night he took to his bed, and never rose again. On Sunday 
he was visited by the proprietors of his allotment ground, 
and his great anxiety was about his rent. He was told to 
consider his rent as paid—to make his mind easy—to hold 
his land henceforth as free—but he could not clearly under¬ 
stand it; what with pain and deafness it was difficult to 
make him understand anything, but he hoped in a day or 
two to be out again, to dig up his crop, and he smiled and 
bid God bless his friends when they left his room. The 
i next morning the passing bell tolled heavily in the distance. 
! George M - had departed during the night, in peace 
| and hope. 
Poor Betty sits by her fire-side in second widowhood. 
“ When I lost my husband,” she says “ I had my children 
round me, but now X am all alone.” George had been so 
long her only son; he had been so good and kind, and 
dutiful, that it is indeed a heavy bereavement to the aged 
widow. She misses his voice, she thinks she hears his 
wheel-barrow coming to the door, and everything she sees 
reminds her of him. 
The testimony borne to George M -by the agent of the 
projjerty of Lord C -, is, indeed, a noble one. “ He has 
been a true and faithful servant for six-and-twenty years; 
the park will never see his like again.” 
How good would it be for every labourer, for every 
i servant, if such were their savour among men! How noble 
would be toil, the hardest, heaviest toil, if such were their 
walk and conversation ! If example is better than precept, 
let the example of George M- — ■ lead many others to “ go 
and do likewise.” But let them not try in their own 
strength, for they will find that fail. Let them seek health 
and strength from Him who alone can give it to them, and 
let them not doubt but they shall fully obtain it. The peace 
which the world gives cannot be called peace, but the peace 
of God gives also favour in the sight of man, supports us 
under manifold privations and bodily tortures which man 
cannot assuage, and is in itself an heritage such as 
kings may envy. 
Now let us reflect that, rich and poor, gentle and simple, 
we all are servants of one master. Are we “ true and faith¬ 
ful ” servants to Him as George M -was to his master? 
What testimony will be borne to our doings when the day of 
reckoning comes? We may slip through the earthly net 
that is spreadfor us; we may not be found wanting, perhaps, 
in man’s eyes, which cannot see into the heart; but we 
shall never be able to slip through the net in which the Lord 
of heaven and earth holds us. We must be dragged ashore 
and singled out, the bad from the good, when the judgment- 
day arrives. 
Let us then try above all things to approve ourselves to 
Him who “ searcheth the heart.” Man’s testimony will 
stand us in no stead before Him who “ trieth the reins ; ” it 
is a good earthly possession, and an honourable reward to 
worldly faithfulness, but we go into the presence of the Lord 
with nothing in our hands. Our only plea for mercy is 
the work which man's hand cannot do; our only covering 
from God’s wrath, the garment “ without seam, woven from 
top to bottom,” which Christ has purchased for us with 
his own blood. Let us all remember this. 
HINTS TO COTTAGERS ON THE MANAGEMENT 
OF PIGS. 
{Continued from pat/e 135.) 
The row is very prolific. She commences breeding at 
from seven to twelve months old, and has two litters in the 
year. From the time she receives the boar, to the time she 
farrows, is sixteen weeks; and it should be so arranged that 
she may have her litter in spring and autumn. At the time 
of her parturition she should be shut in her sty away from 
all other pigs, with not too much straw, as the young pigs are 
apt to nestle under the straw, and the sow to lie down on 
and crush them. She should be in good condition, but not 
fat, and should be well fed. She is best left to herself, and 
the less worried she is, or looked at, the better; but, at the 
same time, she must be watched, as some sows are apt to 
eat their young. If you have such a sow, the sooner you 
turn her into bacon the better, she will never do you any good. 
If the sow has more pigs than teats, they should be killed ; 
nine or ten good plump pigs are far to be preferred to 
thirteen or fourteen half-starved, miserable-looking ones. 
The food should be given warm for the first few days, and 
after the end of the first week it will be a great advantage if 
the sow can be let out to have a run in a field for an hour 
or two each day. At six weeks old the sows, if for fattening, 
must be spayed, and the boars cut. This is generally per¬ 
formed by a man who makes such operations his business, 
and the charge varies in different places, but from sixpence 
to a shilling is the usual price. At the end of two months 
they may be weaned; this should be done gradually, in¬ 
creasing the time they are away from their mother every 
day. The sow should be then well fed, and as soon as the 
flow of her milk has subsided, she will be ready to receive 
the boar, which will be easily known by her uneasiness and 
other signs. It is usual to send the sow to the boar of some 
neighbouring farmer, and the charge is about Is. Cd.; after 
this the sow requires little attention until the time for her 
littering comes round again. 
Should it be thought desirable to purchase pigs for feed¬ 
ing and killing, it is advisable to buy them so as to be about 
fifteen or sixteen months old at Christmas. Suppose you 
buy two at three months old (they will cost about 15s.) in 
January, begin to fatten in the middle of September, and kill 
at Christmas, you will again be ready for another couple in 
January. The sty for the fattening pigs may be smaller 
than that for the breeding sow, but kept in every respect as 
warm, dry , and clean. If they are not already rung when 
you buy them, you must ring them immediately, and when¬ 
ever the rings come out they must be immediately replaced. 
The ring is usually made from a horseshoe nail, flattened 
at the head, the point is passed through the grissel at the 
end of the nose, and bent round into the form of a ring, 
this prevents their rooting; as they will soon, if this be 
not done, not only do immense damage in the meadows, 
but also root up the paving of their sty. Before going 
further, I might mention that one great object in purchasing 
pigs for feeding and fattening is to get one of a quiet and 
mild disposition, or a “ kindly ” pig. Some pigs will eat as 
much again as others, and not get on a bit better. This 
cannot always be told beforehand, but there is a great deal 
in the look. The best way is always, if you can, to buy of 
those whose pigs you have found by experience to do well. 
There is a breed of pigs, a cross with the black China—and, 
I believe, the white China is much of the same disposition— 
which live almost on nothing; they eat little and get fat on 
it, but they are not the pigs for a cottager; they are more 
delicate, and kill best as young porkers at about six months 
old. They do not make good profitable pork and bacon, 
which is a cottager’s aim. 
During the summer the pigs may be fed on any refuse 
fi'om the garden and the house (except anything in the 
shape of meat)—cabbages, potato-parings, apples, mangel 
wurzel leaves, and, in fact, anything from the garden that 
will serve to keep him during the summer, minding only to 
give him plenty, and one meal a day, of meal—that is, mid¬ 
dlings, or anything of that kind ; but the better the food is, 
the better the pork. 
In the month of September the process of fattening should 
commence. They generally fatten best two together, and 
should be confined to their sty, and fed three times a day 
at regular intervals, taking care to allow them just so much 
food that the animal may be thoroughly satisfied, and the 
trough entirely cleared. By this plan much waste is saved, 
and they will fatten the most speedily and effectually, while 
needless waste is prevented. On being first shut up, they 
must not be overgorged with food, but Ihe quantity should 
be gradually increased. The grand object now being to ; 
keep them quiet and happy, it is desirable to give any thing 
that tends to this end; for this purpose lettuces are ad ; 
mirably adapted, as they have a soporific effect. Some pigs 
are very fond of biting pebbles and bricks, and as I have 
never found it do them any harm, I often throw them a 
piece of soft brick, which serves to keep them quiet, and will 
prevent that grinding of their teeth which sounds so dis¬ 
agreeable. 
They must not be allowed too much water, as it makes 
the food pass too quickly through their body; but, on the 
other hand, by no means let them thirst, as this will worry 
and distress them, and nothing can be worse; a good ; 
