CHAPTER XI. 



CASTRATING AND SPAYING. 



I. Castrating. 



1. Old boars can be castrated at almost any time of the 

 year, but it is said that the colder the weather the better, as 

 long as the weather is dry 

 and they are kept in a dry 

 place. 



Catch the boar, turn him 

 on his back and tie him se- 

 curely with a rope ^o that 

 he cannot get up or hurt 

 you. Take hold of the tes- 

 ticle with the left hand, and 

 with a sharp knife in the 

 right make a cut in the bag- 

 large enough tO allow the Fig . 84 ._ A Yorkshire Boar. 



testicle to come through. 



Make the cut in the underside of the bag so that it will not 

 form a pocket afterward. As soon as the testicle is out, 

 separate the covering where it is attached to the underside, 

 by cutting it off. Pull the testicle and cord out three or 

 four inches and tie a strong string tightly around the cord to 

 prevent bleeding. Leave the ends of the string four or five 

 inches long so that they will hang out of the cut. As soon 

 as the cord is tied, cut the testicle off half an inch below the 

 knot. Operate on the other testicle in the same manner. 



2. Young boars may be castrated without tying the 

 cord with a string. Cut it off with a sharp scissors, as this 

 stops the bleeding. 



3. Very young pigs may be castrated by opening the 

 bag, drawing the testicle out and scraping the cord with a 

 knife until it is off, or by severing the cord with a pair of 

 scissors. 



4. In all cases after you are through castrating the pig, 

 and before you let him up, fill the cuts with salty butter. 



5. If the cuts swell considerably and the pig seems stiff 

 and sore in a few days after he is castrated, catch him and 



