94 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Fes., 10 
HOW TO SELECT GOOD MILKING SOWS. 
The best way to secure a milking herd of brood sows is to select pigs 
sows that are good milkers. Select, at least, from the best milkers in the hf 
and condemn to the fattening pen the rest, no matter how handsome they ™ 
be or how nearly they may come up to the fashionable ideal. By contin 
this process from year to year, a very fair herd of sows will be secured. 
BREEDING FROM IMMATURK SOWS. 
To breed steadily from immature sows means loss of size in the prog 
weaker constitutions, a greater tendency to disease, and consequently a ! 
profitable animal from every point of view. Successful pig-breeders know " 
well, and retain good brood sows so long as they are profitable. The matil" 
mother raises her progeny better because her system is better able to withsl! 
the severe strain upon it. 
Most farmers, however, avoid a part of the evils of too early breeding! 
replacing their male animals with others from established herds and flo 
which keeps up the vigour of the young stock to a great extent. But they!* 
in the smaller litters, and the frequent losses of the young, because their di 
are not able to raise them properly. This use of immature stock as breed! 
animals has done great harm to cattle, sheep, and pigs in Australia. 
OVER-FAT BROOD SOWS. 
If, says the Swinebreeders’ Journal, you imagine your sow is getting " 
fat to farrow her litter of pigs, for mercy’s sake do not be so ignorant an 
shut off her feed. A more detrimental change for both sow and pigs J 
could not make. It is better to increase her feed. Shortening her rati”! 
weakens all forces of the body and prepares an open door for disease. . ‘ 
then you cannot imagine what is killing your pigs, and the truth of the busit® 
is, they were living abortions to start with, being farrowed with such lil® 
vitality that as soon as their “wise master’? saw proper to wean them and 
them to chewing for existence they began to die, apparently without a cw 
they being too weak to assimilate the food given them, the digestive appar 
being ruined before being brought into the world, and they die of she 
weakness. ‘The sow should gain a fraction in weight every day she is carry” 
her pigs, and should always be given a variety of feeds. It is absurd to t Y 
you can make her too fat if fed this way. Exercise is absolutely essential. 
PREPARE FOR FARROWING. 
A great many that keep hogs suffer great loss from neglect in noting i 
date of service and being ready at farrowing time to give the sow suitable att®, 
tion. The careful and most successful breeder knows from his breeding-} 
the very day the sow ought to farrow. aa 
If you are one of the careless kind try squeezing her teats. If you succes 
in getting a fair lot of milk, she will farrow in less than 24 hours. ‘And, ae 
this successful breeder knows the tendency to constipation under confinem® 
and that is the beginning of a long train of ills. . 
He sees that her feed and drink are adjusted to her present conditi®) 
knowing that she is to eat for herself and the coming litter, and the feed ™ 
be varied and nutritious. The aim is not to fatten, but to strengthen the ® 
and to grow bone, muscle, and vigour in the pigs. “4 
Nature is wise enough not to spend time in developing milking capil 
beyond the wants of the litter. It will thus be seen that the sow that is a ge 
milker must be built up from the foundation. Select, first, an inheritancé | 
that direction, with vigorous and abundant health, and then feed along the 
of Nature as indicated. et 
By thus selecting with an eye to inheritance of milking qualities, by feed! 
from birth, or rather from conception, with the object of securing vigorous a 
abounding health, and along the lines Nature has indicated, the dairy farmer 
be working with Nature to victory, instead of against her to inevitable defeat 
