Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-09-14

Few items conduce more TO the thriving
and well-being of swine than airy, spacious,
well-constructed styes and above ALL cleanli-
ness. They were formerly too often housed
in damp, dirty close, and imperlectly built
sheds, which was fruitful source Of disease
and Of unthrifty animals Any place was
once thought good enough to keep pig in.
In largo establishments where numerous
pigs are Kept, there should be divisions nppro-
priatod to all the different kinds the bears,
the breeding sows, the newly weaned and the
fattened pigs, should all be kept separate ; and
in the divisions assigned to the second and
last of these classes it is best TO have dis
tinct apartment for each animal all opening
into yard or Enclosure of limited extent
As pigs require warmth, these buildings
should face the south, ard be kept weather
tight and well drained. Good ventilation is
also Important for it is idle to expect ami
mails to make good flesh and retain their
health, unless they have a suficiency of pure
air. The blood requires this to give it vital
ty and free it from impurities, as much as
the stomach requires wholesome and strength
ening food and when it does not have it, it
becomes vitiated, and impairs all the animal
functions. Bad smells and cxhalations
moreover, injure the favor of the meat
Damp and cold floors should be guarded
against, as they tend to induce cramp and d.
arrh@a, and the roofshould be so contrived as
to carry off the wet from the pigs The walls
of well constructed sly should be Of solid
masonry the roof sloping, and furnished
with spouts to carry of the rain the floors
either slightly inclined toward a gutter made
TO carry of the rain, or else raised from the
ground on beams or joists, and perforated SC
that all urine or moisture shall drain off
Bricks and tiles, sometimes used for flooring
are Objectionable, because, however well GOV
cred with straw, they still strike cold. WOOD
is far superior in this respect, as well as be
cause it admits Of those clefts or perforaton
being made, which serve not only to drain Of
all moisture, but also to admit fresh air
The manure proceeding from the pig-stl
has often been much underyaued, and for thi
reason, that the litter is supposed to form thi
principal portion of it whereas it constitute
the least valuable part aud, indeed, it cal
scarcely be regarded as manure at ala
least by itself-where the requisite attention
is paid TO the cleanliness of the animals an
Of their dwellings The urine and the dun
are valuable, being, from the very nature o
the food Of the animals, exceedingly rich an
olcaginous, and materially beneficial to col,
soils and grass-lands The manure from tn
sty should always be collected as carefully a
that from the stable or cow-house, and hus
banded in the same way.
The door Of each sty ought to be so hun
that it will open inward or outward, so as
give the animals free ingress and cgress. Fo
this purpose, it should be hung across fror
side to side, and the animal can push it up
effect its entry or exit for, if il were hun
in the ordinary way, it would derange the lii
ter every time it opened inward, and be yer
liable to hitch. If it is not intended tina
the pigs shall leave their sly, there should b
, an upper and lower door the former {
which should always be left open when tn
weather is warm and dry, while the latte
will serve TO confine the animal. There shoul
likewise be windows or slides, which can b
7 opened or closed at will to give admission I
! the fresh air, or exclude rain or cold.
Whenever it can be managed, the trough
which should be Of stone or cast meta
since wooden ones VIII soon be gnawed I
pieces should be so situated that they ca
be filled ard cleaned from the outside, with
out interfering with or disturbing the animal
o at all for this purpose it is well to have
flap, or door, with swinging hinges, made t
hang horizontally on the trough, so that
can be moved to and fro, and alternately b
0 fastened by bolt to the inside, outside of tn
mangor When the hogs have fed sufficiently
the door is swung inward and fastened an
so remains until feeding time, when the troug
is cleansed and refled without any troubl,
and then the flap drawn back, and the an
mails admitted to their food Some cove
the trough with lid having as many hol,
in it as there pigs to eat from it, which give
each pig an opportunity of selecting his ow
e hole, and eating away without iuteferir
= with or incommoding his neighbor.