e little
pigs. The nest should be disturbed as little as possible, as should the
whole of it be removed and fresh straw given, the sow will probably
spend a considerable time in remaking the nest, and in the meantime the
little pigs will be in danger from a chill, or in being mixed up in the
straw and being laid upon. The risk from delay in the sow laying down
and suckling her pigs is much greater in cold weather, as not only will
they become chilled, but they will persist in crowding round the sow and
so run the greater risk of being trodden upon, or rolled up in the
bedding in the effort of the sow to remake her comfortable nest.

Some persons strongly recommend the giving of a strong dose of medicine
to the sow after she has farrowed. In ordinary cases this is not
necessary, the farrowing of a litter of pigs is a simple and natural
operation. In those occasional instances where manual assistance has to
be given to the sow owing to the unusual size of the pig, or wrong
presentation, or even of a pig which has been dead for a day or two and
has begun to decompose and consequently to increase in bulk, it is
advisable to give medicine to the sow, since there is every probability
of some amount of inflammation due to the insertion of the hand. As the
sow's bowels are likely to be somewhat constipated it is always
advisable to exercise her for a few minutes during the morning after she
has farrowed. In most cases the exercise will at once cause her to
relieve her bowels and her bladder, when she can be returned to her sty.

We found sharps, or the finest portion of miller's offals (which usually
go by varying names in different parts of the country), the most
suitable food for newly farrowed sows, and until the pigs were at least
four weeks old. Some persons recommend that a portion of the food should
consist of bran, this on two grounds--the first that its use tends to
prevent constipation, and secondly on account of the food analysis which
it gives. Our experience has been that when sharps are fed to the sow no
trouble should arise from constipation, whilst as to the nutriment which
bran contains the claim may be good, but the pig is unable to extract
it; so large a proportion of the bran passes through the pig in an
undigested condition. As a rule the pig, unlike the horse, cow, or
sheep, does not masticate its food, nor does it, like the two last
named, chew its cud, but it usually bolts its food, and thus casts a
gre