in either of which cases they must be fed from the first. When the young pigs are about a fortnight old, warm milk should be given to them. In another week, this may be thickened with some species of farina; and afterwards, as they gain strength and increase in size, boiled roots and vegetables may be added. As soon as they begin to eat, an open frame or railing should be placed in the sty, under which the little pigs can run, and on the other side of this should be the small troughs containing their food; for it never answers to let them eat out of the same trough with the mother, both because the food set before her is generally too strong and stimulating for them, and besides, the chances are they would not get a mouthful. Those intended to be killed for "sucking-pigs" should not be above, four weeks old; most persons kill them for this purpose on the twenty-first or twenty-second day. The others, excepting those which are kept for the purpose of breeding, should be castrated at the same time.
WEANING.
The age at which pigs may be weaned with the greatest advantage is when they are about eight or ten weeks old; many persons, however, wean them as early as six weeks, but then they seldom turn out so well. They should not be taken from the sow at once, but gradually weaned. At first they should be removed from her for a certain number of hours each day, and accustomed to be driven by hunger to eat from the trough; then they may be turned out for an hour without her, and afterwards shut up while she is turned out also by herself. Subsequently they must only be allowed to suck so often in twenty-four hours; perhaps six times at first, then four, then twice, and at last only once; and meanwhile they must be proportionally better and more plentifully fed, and the mother's diet in a like manner diminished; thus will the weaning be accomplished without danger or evil consequences to either. Some persons have advised that the whole litter should not be weaned at once; we do not, however, agree with them, unless it should happen that one or two of the young ones are much weaker and smaller than the others; in such case, if the sow remains in tolerable condition, they might be suffered to suck for a week longer; but such a mode of proceeding should be an exception, not a general rule.
Pigs are more easily weaned than almost any other animals, because they learn to feed sooner; but nevertheless this is always a somewhat critical period, and great attention must be paid to them if we would have them grow up strong, healthy animals. Their styes must be warm, dry, clean, well ventilated, and weather-tight. They should have the run of a grass meadow or paddock for an hour or two every fine day, in the spring and summer, or be turned into the farm-yard among the cattle in the winter, as fresh air and exer-
