ing by the breech presentation, had a hind-leg folded back, which could not be put right by the sow herself in pressing, and having been neglected, her parts very much swelled. As an attempt to save her life, the Cesarian operation was performed on her, and the obstructing pig was removed; the animal lived, but the others in her womb were dead, and she herself did not survive the operation above an hour, having been completely exhausted before it was attempted. I do not know whether it is generally the case, but I have frequently observed that pigs leave the womb alternately in a reversed order; that is, they are projected by a head and breech presentation alternately, not uniformly so, but most frequently. There is no doubt, however, of the fact, that the first born pigs are the strongest, and the last the smallest and weakest, in a large litter, such as upwards of 12, though the difference is less or scarcely observable in smaller litters of 6 or 8. The small weak pigs are usually nicknamed wrigs, or pock-shakings, and are scarcely worth bringing up; still, if there is a teat for them to lay hold of, they ought not to be destroyed. Sometimes there are more pigs littered than the sow has teats to give to each. I have seen as many as 19 pigs when there were only 12 teats; and I remember of a sow that never littered fewer than 17 when she had 14 teats, which are two more than the usual number. Extra pigs can, no doubt, be brought up by hand on cow's milk, but the last ones of a very large litter are usually so small and weak that they generally die off in the course of a day or two to the number of the teats. A young pig soon gets to its feet after birth, and as soon finds its way to the teat; but it can find no sustenance from it until the sow pleases, so that until the entire parturition is accomplished and the sow recovered from it, there is no chance of the pigs getting a suck. Many sows are very sick during parturition, and for some time after; so much so that the skin of their mouth becomes bleached and parched, and the breathing quick. To those unaccustomed to see a sow in that state, it would seem that she must die; but a little rest recovers her, and she betakes herself fondly to her young. It is necessary, as I have said, to remove the pigs as they die, if any die, as some sows evince the abominable propensity of eating their own pigs when they die, whether the death takes place at the birth, or immediately after, or whether it happens on their being smothered or squeezed to death by being lain down upon by the sow herself, when nestled between her and the wall. I remember of a sow that was never sick at pigging, and such was her propensity to eat every pig that died or was smothered, that even during parturition she would get up as every pig was born, to ascertain whether it was dead or alive, and, if dead, would eat it instantly, provided she was not pre

vented; and even after they were a week old she would eat them, had they died by accident. There is a peculiarity exhibited by young pigs, different from the young of other domesticated animals, in each choosing a teat for itself, and ever after keeping possession of it; and this compact, as it were, is faithfully maintained. Should there be one pig more than there are teats, it must take its chance of obtaining a teat when the rest are satisfied. It is generally observed that the pigs which are supported at the foremost teats become the strongest; and the fact was noticed long ago by Tusser, who recommends store pigs to be those which are

Pigs require to use coaxing before the sow will give them milk. They make loud entreaties, and rub the udder with their noses to induce her to lie down, which, when she does, every pig takes its own place right earnestly, and nuzzles away at the udder with the teat held in the mouth, whether situate in the upper or lower row. After a good while of this sort of preparation, the milk begins to flow on the sow emitting a fond-like grunting sound, during which the milk is drawn steadily and quietly till the pigs are all satisfied, and they not unfrequently fall fast asleep with the teat in the mouth. Young pigs are lively happy creatures, and fond of play as long as they are awake, but they are great sleepers. When a week old, their skins are clean, hair soft and silky, and with plump bodies and bright eyes, there are few more beautiful young animals to be seen about a farm-yard. Those of a white colour look the most delicate and fine.

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(2464.) As to the food of the sow after she has recovered from parturition, which will be longer or shorter according to her constitutional temperament, she should get a warm drink, consisting of thinnish gruel of oatmeal and luke-warm water, and which serves the double purpose meat and drink. If she is thirsty, which she is likely to be on recovery from sickness, the gruel may be again offered in a thinner state in an hour or two afterwards. The ordinary food may consist of boiled potatoes, with a mixture of barleymeal, amongst water, administered at a stated hour at morning, noon, and night, with such refuse as may occur from the farm-house. This food will be found to support her well while nursing; and it should be borne in mind, that as long as she is nursing she should receive abundance of food if it is desired she should rear good pigs. Should the weather be frosty, or otherwise cold, the water may be given a little warmed, but in fresh weather, or in summer, cold water is most acceptable to her. The mess should not be made so thin as to

be sloppy and take a long time to drink up, or so thick as to be cloggy in the mouth, but in a state of gruel, meat and drink at the same time. Whatever food is given to her should be cooked, and not in a raw state, that is to say, the potatoes should be boiled and not given raw, and the barleymeal should first be made into brose with warm water, and then mixed with the potatoes, and the whole mess made like gruel with cold water. The trough out of which she receives her food should be washed every two or three days in cold, and every day in warm weather. I believe it is the common practice never to give pigs salt amongst their food, because it is said to encourage the scab. A large quantity of salt may have this effect, but I never saw a relish of salt produce such an effect. When a sow leaves any of the food in the trough it should not be presented to her again, but given to the young pigs, who will relish it.

(2465.) Most pigs are usually gelded, both male and female, the few that are kept for breeding forming but a small exception. They should be gelded on the milk at from 10 to 14 days old. The males are castrated on being held between the knees, and the scrotum incised down upon each testicle, which is removed by the pressure of the finger and thumb, and the spermatic chord separated by the knife. The she-pigs are treated in a different manner. Being laid on a chair bottom or table, on its far side, the pig is there held by an assistant; the operator cuts an upright incision into the flank, of about 2 inches in length, and introducing a finger, brings out the ovaria of the womb, and separates them by the knife. He then closes the incision by a few stitches with a needle and thread, and the operation is finished. There is very little danger attending the operation to either sex. In the case of rupture or hernia in the male-and some breeds of pigs are very liable to this disease when young-it is necessary to stitch up the incision of the scrotum, and the testicle at castration should, in such a case, be removed with care, in case of producing inflammation in the intestines. The incisions in both the male and female generally heal by the first intention. The gelder should use the precaution of cleaning his knife before every operation. The usual charge for gelding pigs is 2s. 6d. the litter, whatever number it may contain. Young pigs are not gelded when intended to be killed for roasting.

(2466.) It is seldom that any complaint overtakes the sow on littering, though she may be carried off by puerperal fever, and I suspect there is no remedy for this disease in her case. The pigs which she leaves may be very well brought up by hand on cow's milk, as they will soon learn to drink out of a dish, in which the milk should be given

them warm from the cow, and as often as the cows are milked. It is surprising how small a quantity of milk a pig will drink at a time; and on this account they should get it frequently, and the dish in which it is served should not be easily upset, because there will be a struggle to get first at the milk, and one or more will be sure to jump into it. The diseases incidental to young pigs are luckily few. Their tails sometimes drop off with a sort of canker; and a red eruption sometimes takes place on their skin; and sometimes one in a litter may take a wasting and die. I believe that if the sow is provided with plenty of wholesome food, the pigs kept clean and warm in their sty and litter, and their sire and dam be not too near a-kin, that few diseases will overtake pigs as long as they are on their mother's milk. A sow is not allowed to take the boar until after the pigs are weaned, but as soon after as possible, in a week or two; and to bring her into season the sooner, she should be fed with oats or oat-meal until she takes the boar. The symptoms of season in a sow are a redness and enlargement of the vulva, which, when observed, the boar should have access to her; and should there be a boar on the spot, the meeting will be easily accomplished, and one embrace, which is usually a protracted one, is quite sufficient for securing a litter of pigs. When there is no boar on the farm, the sow is sent to him, and she remains a few days with him to secure her impregnation. Pigs are weaned at 6 weeks old, and some keep them on the sow for 2 months; but there is little thrift in such management, as the suckling in the last week of a large litter of large pigs brings a sow very fast down in condition, and which must be made up again with extra feeding and a longer time before she farrows the next time. A sow that can bring up 10 pigs, and has 5 such litters in the course of 2 years, is a profitable animal, and deserves to be well maintained and taken care of. Even at 10s. a-piece, which is the lowest sum a farmer should take for a pig, for he should keep it until it is worth that sum rather than part with it at a lower one, such a sow will return L.25 in the course of 2 years.

(2467.) As it is considered by farmers inconvenient to keep beyond a certain number of pigs on the farm-stead, it is necessary to determine what that number should be, and as it is difficult to fix its amount for every particular case, à few hints on different modes of managing litters, after they are weaned, may prove acceptable to you. Before investigating this point, a few particulars may be stated which you may regard in the light of maxims on this subject. A sow should always be either with young or giving suck, for if allowed to run about in season, or a-breaming, as it is termed, she will lose flesh instead of gaining it. A sow should always be kept in good condition, whether with young or supporting young, because a lean sow never brings forth or can nourish strong pigs. Every breeder and feeder of pigs will find his own advantage in never allowing them to go to bed with a hungry belly. A sow that brings forth the greatest

number of pigs of the best quality, proves the best nurse, and is most careful of her young, should always be preferred as a brood-sow. When a sow gets old, she is apt to become careless of her pigs, so that 3 or 4 years may be age enough for a brood-sow. Pigs, though on grass during the day in summer, should, nevertheless, receive a drink of water and meal, or potatoes, or of whey at morning and evening.

(2468.) There are just two ways of rearing pigs on a farm, one is to have a large number of sows, and sell the pigs when they are weaned at 6 weeks old; the other is, to have fewer sows, and rear the pigs until they are fit for the porkcurers; and the adoption of either of these plans depends entirely on the nature of the market of the locality. If there is a demand for young pigs immediately after being weaned, supporting the larger number of sows will be the most profitable plan for the farmer, because the pigs have not to be maintained on food independently of their mothers; but it is a plan attended with much trouble, inasmuch as food has to be daily cooked for the sows while supporting their young, and the market for pigs is, moreover, confined to one age. In the latter plan, on the other hand, the sows are only supported on special food as long as they support the pigs, and there is not only the choice of the market for newly weaned pigs, but for pigs of various ages, suited to the tastes of p rkcurers. Suppose, then, that 2 sows are maintained, in pursuance of the latter plan, and that they bring forth 20 pigs twice a-year. Retaining 4 of these for ham, and other 2 for pickled pork, for the use of the house, there will be 34 pigs to dispose of every year, and as these meet with a ready market when 4 or 5 stones imperial each, at 6s. a-stone, will make them worth each from 21s. to 30s., or from L.40 to L.50 a-year for pigs. It should be borne in mind that these 34 pigs, when running about the courts in winter, eating a few turnips or potatoes, or grazing in the grass-field in summer, do not cost much to rear them to the weight most desiderated by the curers of pork, and they are in that state fat enough for the purpose, and make very wholesome meat. On a farm of 500 acres, 2 brood-sows could thus be easily maintained, on a larger farm 3 might be kept, and on a smaller 1 may suffice; but circumstances must regulate the proper number. Where dairy-husbandry is more attended to on one farm than on another, and when the mixed husbandry is practised on both, more sows may easily be kept in summer than where the dairy-husbandry is less attended to. There is a remark of Mr Henderson on this subject, which is worthy of attention, in regard to the timing of sows in bearing their litters of pigs. "Whenever," he says, "farmers have an opportunity of selling pork at all seasons, they do not think it necessary to make the sows bring their litters at a particular season, as they wish to have a lot of a certain age to go off regularly at least every month," in autumn, winter, and spring. "They make them ready for the market," he continues, "with little expense, only giving them close feeding 2 or 3 weeks previous to their being sold." Pigs intended for pickled pork merely, do not require even this feeding, though those sold for making hams are the better for a little extra and hardening feeding. "They have very little trouble in selling them," concludes Mr Henderson," as there are jobbers continually travelling through the country, purchasing swine of all descriptions, who receive them and pay the money at the farms."

(2469.) The omnivorous disposition of swine is well known, and it is this disposition which makes them so easily maintained, and so serviceable on a farm. "Swine, though exceedingly voracious," remarks Mr Henderson, "will feed al