PASTURING AND SOILING .I87 



cruelty practiced in setting too many rings and setting 

 them too deep. Tliere are numerous devices, patented 

 and otherwise, for holding the animals. We have never 

 used a cage of any kind, for the reason that we thought 

 it more trouble to adjust the cage to the different sizes 

 than to catch the animals with a small rope looped at one 

 end and slipped into the mouth and over the nose; to 

 ha.e the rope hold well it should be put back of the tusks, 

 otherwise it will slip off when the hog pulls back on it. 



"When we ring young hogs, we do not have much 

 trouble in snaring them, but the brood sows that must 

 have their rings set two or three times a year become 

 quite cunning, and will dodge the loop very successfully. 

 When we ha\e this work to do we drive the hogs into a 

 box stall, where there is no possibility of escape ; when 

 they crowd into a corner an active person can catch them 

 without much trouble. It is much easier to drive them 

 into a stable or shed that they are accustomed to than to 

 coax or drive them into a pen built on purpose for these 

 few minutes of torture. The rope that they are caught 

 with should have a short stick tied to one end for a han- 

 dle to hold them with, and when the animals are large 

 and strong we find it a saving of muscle when the animal 

 is caught to put the rope around a post; the animal will 

 stand better when pulling at the post, that does not give. 



"In placing the rings care should be taken to set them 

 t irmly but not too deep: if set so deep as to bind or pinch 

 the muscles inside the ring, they will always be an annoy- 

 ance to the animal. Some men take vengeance on their 

 hogs, it would appear, by setting the rings as deeply as 

 possible, causing all the pain they can ; in such instances 



