origin. It is short in the head, with pricked-up ears, full wide cheeks, high in the chine, and very short legs. This breed is very prolific. The pigs easily fatten, and although they do not grow to a great size, they will pay well for their food, and may be killed for bacon at a twelvemonth old.

The Neapolitan pig, is black, without any hair, and very plump, with pricked ears. It fattens as readily as the China breed, but is not so prolific, and is more tender. Crosses of the China and Neapolitan kinds with our hardier English breeds, have greatly improved the latter, by increasing their prolificness, and their apti

tude to fatten.

The Suffolk breed, is generally white, with pointed ears, broad chest and loins, and short compact form, much resembling the China sort. They make fine bacon-pigs, weighing from 12 to 15 score at twelve or fifteen months old.

The Essex pig, is for the most part black, or black and white, with little hair, and in form and character bears a strong resemblance to the Neapolitan breed. It fattens very readily, and at an early age.

The Berkshire breed, is a very well-shaped animal, having small pricked ears, broad chine and loins, good hams, and short legs. This is a very valuable breed, and second to none for the farmer.

These are the breeds principally reared in this country, but there are some large breeds of pigs still found in some districts, and prized on account of their great size; but they do not so soon come to maturity, and will not be found so profitable as the smaller sorts, which are more prolific, and fatten more readily, and at an earlier age.

The best-formed pigs of the litter should always be selected to breed from. This will serve to improve the breed, without crossing; but where the sow and the boar are too nearly related, the fecundity diminishes, and hence frequent crossing with other boars and other

breeds is found to be necessary. To increase fecundity, no cross is so effectual as that with the China breed.

In order to obtain the greatest profit from the keeping of pigs, a regular system must be pursued, both in the breeding and feeding. There must be proper hogsties for the pigs of different ages, and the breeding sows must be kept separate. Coppers must be provided for boiling and steaming their food, and tanks in which it may then be deposited and mixed; and the greatest cleanliness should be observed in everything connected with their feeding and management. The pig is naturally cleanly in his habits, and although he is sometimes seen wallowing in mud, it is not from the love of dirt that he does this, but to allay the heat and itching of his skin in warm weather. If allowed a sufficiency of clean straw and water, the pig will never be dirty; and nothing pleases him more, and makes him thrive so quick, as being washed and curried regularly.

The sow goes with young four months, and when near farrowing she should be put into a sty by herself. The pigs should not be taken too young from the sow, as they are then apt to get sickly; but if allowed to get strong before weaning, they are seldom liable to disease afterwards. They ought never to be weaned before they are six or eight weeks old, and at the time of farrowing the sty should not have much straw, lest the young ones be trodden and overlaid; and the sow must be frequently attended to, as some are apt to destroy their young. Eight or ten will be enough to rear in one litter.

The sow having a litter of pigs to support, should be well fed with beans, barley-meal, and milk or whey. Grains are also good if they can be got. In summer

she may be allowed to go out occasionally for an hour or two, into a grazing meadow, if near at hand; but the young pigs must not be allowed to accompany her until they are a fortnight or three weeks old. A sow will live many years, and bring numerous litters; and in general an old sow makes a better nurse than a young one, and she ought therefore to be kept as long as she will breed. Young sows may have a litter at ten or twelve months

This

old, and may then be spayed, and fed for bacon. should likewise be done whenever a sow does not breed well, or eats her pigs.

In the management of pigs, a comfortable warm sty is an object of the first importance. It need not be large, but it should have an opening to the south if possible. If pigs are kept clean, dry, and warm, onehalf the food will suffice, which would be requisite in a cold, wet, or dirty situation; and depend upon it, if you attend to the comfort of your pigs, they will return your kindness tenfold, in the shape of bacon, ham, and lard. The flooring of the sty should be raised and flagged, or laid with brick or tile, that it may, in warm weather, be washed clean, as the pigs will not then require bedding.

Almost anything will serve as food for your pigs-potato peelings, cut clover, boiled turnips, cabbages and garden-stuff, small corn, acorns, beech-mast, and the scrapings and washings of your pots and dishes: but whatever is given to them, let it be first boiled or steamed, and then be laid by for a day or two before using, as it is well known that a pig will fatten sooner on stalish food, than when it is quite fresh. One-half the quantity of potatoes will, if boiled, keep your pigs, which would be required if they were used raw; and the same rule applies to all other vegetables.

The pigs should never be allowed to roam about in search of food, for if not ringed in the nose, they will turn up and destroy the grass lands; and if ringed, they will tire and fret themselves in vain exertions to dig. Every day a pig is loose, is a certain loss in flesh and fat; and he should never quit his comfortable sty from the time that he is littered till he is fit for use, unless it be when very young, when he may be permitted to accompany the sow for a short time, as is above recommended.

POULTRY.

The management of poultry is commonly understood

by every farmer's wife, and therefore little need be said here respecting it. But when we consider the vast quantity of fowls and poultry of all kinds which is annually consumed,* and the immense produce of eggs which are daily brought to market, the subject is obviously one of considerable importance; and it is quite certain that the rearing of poultry will not be overlooked by the prudent farmer, nor their management be unattended to by the thrifty farmer's wife.

The number of geese, ducks, fowls, and turkeys kept in the farm-yard, should be proportioned to the quantity of grain likely to be scattered, and which would be lost were not these animals kept to gather it up and prevent the waste. It is this circumstance, which allows poultry and eggs to be sold at such low prices; for were all their food purchased, or taken at its actual value, their cost to the farmer would be greatly increased, and so by consequence would their price in the market to

the consumer.

Fowls.-The several sorts of fowls which are kept in this country, are generally much mixed, and often deteriorated, but the common fowl is perhaps nearly as valuable as any. The grey Dorking, and the black Spanish sorts, are however to be preferred to all others, when they can be gotten pure. Both these kinds are good layers, give large eggs, readily fatten, do not stray far, and command a high price in the market.

All fowls having white legs are to be preferred; but the game sorts, with green or yellow legs, are to be avoided as being too delicate; whilst those with black legs are not so marketable, their flesh being often dark coloured. Long-legged fowls are not worth keeping.

Fowls fatten best when confined, and they also then require less food; but they must be kept warm. If allowed to range about, they rarely get fat, however abundantly they may be fed.

*The value of fowls consumed in London alone, it is estimated, amounts to upwards of 100,0007. annually.

Eggs.-The nests should be placed in the hen-house, and as far removed from the roosting-place as possible, that the hens may not be disturbed either in laying or hatching. Baskets are better than boxes. A little straw only is necessary, and let it be always kept fresh and clean; for if this be not attended to, the eggs will become tainted in a few hours after they are laid.

Nothing contributes more than warmth to the hen's laying plentifully, and a good short-legged hen, if well fed and kept warm and undisturbed, will produce 150 eggs, besides bringing up a brood of chickens, every year. Keeping too many half-starved fowls is bad economy, three or four well-fed ones being worth more than double the number otherwise treated; and if six hens be kept to one cock, they will be more prolific than when the proportion of females is greater.

Warmth being of the greatest importance, the henhouse should have a southern aspect, and be free from damp; and if possible it should be so built, that the warmth of a flue or chimney may have access to it.

To preserve eggs fresh and good, they should, immediately they are laid, be put into dishes of lime-water; or else be rubbed over with a little lard, mutton-fat, or butter, and placed upon their ends. If laid on their side, the yolk will adhere to the shell, which spoils them when kept long. Those rubbed with fat, should not be above a fortnight without turning and wiping them over: but lime-water is the least expensive, feast troublesome, and best mode of preservation; and the eggs thus preserved will keep good for six months, if turned occasionally.

The Duck.-If there is a pool or stream in the vicinity, ducks should certainly be kept. They are great layers in spring, and rear their young with very little assistance but the ducklings must not be allowed to go much into the water till they are about a week old, as they are apt to die from cold. Except attention for the first few days, they require little feeding or care afterwards; and if a pool, meadow, or common be near, they