The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-09-22


gree by light dose of physic Ia taste
of oil in sweet milk. which they will
drink), and amounting the sore place
with q little digestive ointment, such
as any druggist can prepare. Around
the sty in which the breeding SOW is
kept at the time OF farrowing there
should be run couple of rails, one
above the other, foot from the wall,
the lowest being about quarters
of foot from the ground. The great
risk at such time is of the little pigs
being smothered by her lying helplessly
upon them in her pain, whereas if there
be rail she is likely to bear against
it, so that tho little ones, if they have
the bad luck to get underneath, will
either work themselves ont, or escape
the direct burden of her direct weight.
They soon learn worldly wisdom enough
to take refuge behind, where you
should have little soft straw or hay
for their especial use. Under the SOW
at narrowing time there should be little
or no straw, as with the best disposi-
ton she is then more apt to annihilate
some of the wee ones who may be lost
to sight, having gone burrowing on
their own behalf. The best practice,
however, is to have her watched and
the little ones taken from her as
they appear, and if the weather is
cold, kept near the fire in q
hamper for day or two, being carried
to and fro for sucking. This entails q
little Trouble, but it is well repaid, as
you may so save a whole litter, three
fourths of which, if left with her, the
chances are you may find with their
tongues out "done to death" within
twenty-four hours after birth. As soon
as they are pretty strong upon their
legs and can expostulate Justify you
may leave them in the fenced sty with
mamma altogether, having taken care
first to initiate them into the secret of
their harbor (the railing around the
wall). All this savage mother will
not allow; nay, often she will devour
her offspring if meddled with at all.
AS preventive against this awkward
finale wash of aloes and water into
which the piglings are dipped, just
newly farrowed, has been used. A
"fond parent" of this sort, it will pay
you best, however, to fatten and con-
sumo in turn. Gentle sows are sufli-
ciently attainable to permit the imme-
diate sacrifice of q savage. If the wee
ones be ailing hot bath for them and
a dose of castor oil (say four ounces)
to the mother, OF which they will en-
Joy q reversion through her milk, as
safe and usually successful treatment.
That the SOW will require warm food,
Cruel, etc. after her labor, and must
be carefully tended and not hi hly fed
for some days, it is almost superhuous
to remark. Indeed, unless the tyro
have servants about his stock
who of themselves will exercise
such ordinary thought, We will have a
very mountain to surmount. We may
notice only that boiled food promotes
especially the flow Of milk, and that
for those sows which litter in autumn
lettuces are the most wholesome and
iuiciest of food. Toward weaning time
turn out the SOW occasionally by her
self, and accustom the nursery to take
warm milk and slops on their private
account. This will grease the slips OF
their final launch into life, which should
take place as soon as they have shivered
through the ninth week, when the
matron should be thinking of baby
linen again. Mind and do your little
pigs we'll. The SOW should be richly
fed throughout the nursing, SO that
when you wean the litter they shall be
pretty stout to start on their own &C
count. Still, at the best, it is tick
lish period when they are first put ovel
the nest. Ruinous as cruel is the policy
of stinting an infant. 1t is far bettel
for you to keep half dozen in good
trim, ready ever for pork or winter
baconers, than half hundred trottins
everlastingly, half fed, about the yard
scabby, wizzen-looking and pot-belliei
in anxious search for anything to sat
isfy the pangs of their hunger. Starved
in infancy, young stock seems to lost
not only size, but in great degree it,
aptitude to fatten.