230 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. (1 Ocr., 1902. 
day to produce a streak of lean meat, and crammed it the next day to lay oD 
a eureak of fat. Pigs fed steadily and regularly will give the most satisfactory 
results. 
In starting your herd, remember to give the first consideration to the boat- 
Get a high-class sire from some well-known breeder. If you are careless about 
this, and start with some half-bred mongrel, it will take you years to work out 
the bad strain. It is the boar which gives shape, points, and quality to the 
herd. The sow furnishes the internal structure and the frame. In choosing # 
boar, always make a point, if possible, of looking at the herd and the quality 
and uniformity of the sows and their progeny. Choose a boar with plenty of 
hair, true markings, gentle disposition, uniform breadth across both shoulders 
and loins, with full hams, deep sides, and good length, consistent with size. 
A. young, well-developed boar may be used for stud purposes at nine 
months old. 
In selecting the sows, choose them with such points as I have given you 
above ; good, long and roomy, active and vigorous, with deep ribs and full hams, 
about half or three-quarters bred, sows that will eat readily and develop a big 
supply of milk. See that the sow has not less than twelve teats, for ag she 18 
well-mated she should throw not less than ten or twelve pigs at a litter twice a year. 
The sow should not go to the boar until she is eight months old. Just 
about a week before she is going to farrow, put her in a nice, dry, clean pen 
with plenty of straw, and well-shelterea from bleak winds and rain. Let her 
have plenty of clean, fresh water, and don’t forget to give her some charcoal. 
Feed her now as you intend to do after farrowing, because if you change the 
food afterwards you are apt to induce scouring in the young litter. 
Pigs are very apt to crush the young ones against the sides of the pen 
when about to lie down. This is very simply guarded against. I stated this 
in my article on pigs and their management in the Queensland Agricultural 
Journal, and gave the illustration of the appliance which is here reproduced— 
It is, as you see, merely a plank—a round rail will do—fastened to the 
sides of the pen, about 6 to 7 inches above the floor. The little pigs can get 
under this, and they are saved from being crushed. Use 2-inch by 8-inch plank, 
A, around the interior of the house, about 10 inches from the floor, O, the plank 
A being rendered more secure to the side, B, by the support D. The space 
provided under the plank, A, is sufficient for the young pigs to crawl under, 
and the sow cannot overlay them owing to the protecting plank projecting. 
In about three weeks time, the little ones will begin to feed on something 
besides milk, so now is the time to wean them. Mix up a little pollard with 
milk and water in a shallow trough. They will soon learn to feed, and then 
you can let the sow out for a run on the grass, which will do her a great deal 
of good. You can go on doing this until they are six or seven weeks old, letting 
the sow have more liberty everyday. Then you can dry off the sow, and in 
three or four days put her back to the boar, 
