What does this tell me?

Folks,

I'm still having trouble with my massive data transformation procedures
taking forever to finish.   Particularly, many of them will get about
1/2 way through, and then I will start seeing this in the log:

2002-10-08 20:37:13 DEBUG:  recycled transaction log file
0000000A000000E4
2002-10-08 20:37:13 DEBUG:  recycled transaction log file
0000000A000000E5
2002-10-08 20:37:13 DEBUG:  recycled transaction log file
0000000A000000E6
2002-10-08 20:37:13 DEBUG:  recycled transaction log file
0000000A000000E7
2002-10-08 20:37:13 DEBUG:  recycled transaction log file
0000000A000000E8
2002-10-08 20:37:13 DEBUG:  recycled transaction log file
0000000A000000E9
2002-10-08 20:37:13 DEBUG:  recycled transaction log file
0000000A000000EA
2002-10-08 20:37:13 DEBUG:  recycled transaction log file
0000000A000000EB
2002-10-08 20:37:13 DEBUG:  recycled transaction log file
0000000A000000EC
2002-10-08 20:37:13 DEBUG:  recycled transaction log file
0000000A000000ED
2002-10-08 20:37:13 DEBUG:  recycled transaction log file
0000000A000000EE
2002-10-08 20:37:13 DEBUG:  recycled transaction log file
0000000A000000EF
2002-10-08 20:37:13 DEBUG:  reaping dead processes
2002-10-08 20:37:13 DEBUG:  child process (pid 15270) exited with exit
code 0

... repeat ad nauseum.   The problem is, each "recycle transaction log
... reaping dead child process" cycle takes about 4-7 minutes ...
meaning that the procedure can take up to 1/2 hour to finish, and
sometimes not finish at all.

Obviously, the system is telling me that it is running out of resources
somehow.  But I'm at my wit's end to figure out what resources,
exactly.   Suggestions?

-Josh Berkus