om the
animal's skin. They often contain arsenic, or bichloride of mercury
(corrosive sublimate), which are very objectionable ingredients. The
glycerine sheep dip, prepared by Messrs. Hendrick and Guerin, of London,
is a safe mixture, as it is free from mineral poisons, whilst the tar
substances which it includes, act as a powerful cleanser of the skin,
without injuriously affecting the yolk of the wool.

SECTION III.

THE PIG.

In the breeding of pigs, as in the breeding of other kinds of stock,
great care should be taken in the selection of both sire and dam. A good
pig should have a small head, short nose, plump cheek, a compact body,
short neck, and thin but very hairy skin, and short legs. The black
breed is considered to be more hardy than the white; and pure--all black
or all white--colors as a rule indicate the purest blood.

The sow should not be bred from until she is a year old, and the boar
especially should not be employed at an earlier age. Although one boar
is sometimes left with forty pigs and even a greater number, he will not
be able to serve more than a dozen about the same time, if vigorous
progeny be expected. The sow's regular period of gestation is 113 days;
she can have two litters a year, and in each there are from five to
fourteen young. Moderate sized litters are the best, the young of very
numerous ones being often weakly. The best time to rear young pigs is
during the warm or mild parts of the year.

During gestation the sow should be liberally fed, but not with excessive
amounts. The food at this time should rather excel in quality than in
quantity; but so soon as she begins to nurse, her allowance must be
increased, and may be rendered more stimulating. For a week or so before
farrowing, the sow ought to be kept alone. Its sty should not be too
small--not less than 8 or 10 feet square--for pigs require good air in
abundance as well as other animals.

The straw used for litter should neither be too abundant nor too long;
in the latter case some of the young might be covered by it, and
escaping the notice of the sow, might unconsciously be crushed by the
latter. If the young are very feeble, it may become necessary to
hand-feed them. Some sows eat their young: and when they have this
habit, the better plan is to cease breeding from them; for it appears to
be incurable. After parturition some bran and liquid or semi-liquid food
should be given to the sow.

_Young Pigs_ subsist exc