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much straw is improper, both at the time of farrowing andfor a week or two afterwards, as the pigs are apt to nestlebeneath it unpcrceived by the sow, who is in this case alwaysin danger of smothering them when she lies down. A breed-ing sow should be well fed, particularly when nursing; andit is advantageous, early to accustom the pigs to feed from alow trough, on milk or other liquid food, mixed with mealor brim. Such of the pigs of both sexes, as are not to bekept for breeding, are usually castrated or spayed when abouta month old, and the whole may be weaned at the end of sixor seven weeks. They should then be fed regularly, threetimes a-day, with meal and water a little warmed, until theyare able to shift for themselves among the rest of the stock.

The food allowed, whether to growing or fattening swine,depends on the circumstances of their owners. The cotta-ger’s pig must be contented with the scanty offals of his kit-chen, and of his dairy, consisting generally of a single cow :towards the end of autumn, a few potatoes are added, for thepurpose of preparing it for slaughter, and perhaps a littlemeal is mixed with boiled potatoes for a week or two before.Such pigs, however, often thrive amazingly, make them-selves moderately fat, and form a most valuable addition tothe winter stores of their owners. In the south-eastern coun-ties, the hinds or married ploughmen, are commonly allowedto keep a pig each, which they feed in this manner, and fromwhich their families derive much benefit at very little expence.

On corn-farms, the chief, and not unfrequently the onlydependence of swine, is on the straw-yards. The sweepingsof the barn-floor, corn left upon the straw, and oats foundamong the dung of horses, with a share of the turnips andclover given to cattle, afford ample subsistence to swine, inthe proportion perhaps of one to every five or six acres un-der corn, clover, and turnips. The kitchen and dairy givesome assistance to pigs newly weaned, and also to such asare soon to be slaughtered. A great many are killed for theLondon market when about a year old, that have never beenfed at any expence that can be estimated. A few pigs, if of