218
ON THJE LIVE-STOCK
that it is neither possible, nor would it be of any utility todescribe the practice of different counties, or rather of al-most every different individual. In some places there is aconstant demand for pigs when newly weaned, ancl breedingis therefore the principal object; in others, those of six oreight months old, called shots, are more in demand. Theyare bought by farmers, who give them the run of the straw-yard in winter, and sell them moderately fat in spring; andin May, by such as feed through summer on the offals of thedairy. It is seldom that any one of these practices is exclu-sively persevered in by those who keep a considerable num-ber; the same person who breeds, also sells young pigs,shots, and fat swine, according to the demands of the mar-ket, and his own convenience.
The period of gestation with swine is sixteen weeks: thepigs are commonly weaned when six weeks old; soon afterwhich the sow is again, in season, so that two litters are usu-ally farrowed within the year; sometimes, though very rare-fy, five litters in two years. It is of importance to attend totwo things in breeding swine: They should not be allowed tofarrow in winter, as young pigs are exceedingly tender, andcan with difficulty be preserved in very cold weather; nor ata time when food is scarce, as is generally the case uponcorn-farms in summer, if the stock of them is large. Themonths of February and August have been recommended asthe best periods for parturition*. Twenty swine are esti-mated to bring at an average 74- pigs each for their first lit-ter j-; but the number varies much, and many young pigsare lost soon after their birth by the unkindness of theirdam, and by casualties to which they are more exposed thanmost other young animals.
A sow in pigs should be separated from the herd sometime before she is expected to farrow, carefully watched,and littered with a small quantity of dry short straw. Too
Ibid, p. 17.