184 WESTERN GRAZING GROUNDS AND FOREST RANGES 



the beef product greater. With them it was a question 

 of quantity and not quality. 



Usual Method. A calf is never too small to be cas- 

 trated. The usual method is to clip off a small piece of 

 the end of the scrotum or bag and squeeze out the tes- 

 ticles, and either pull them out with main force until 

 the cord breaks off itself or else far enough so as to cut 

 it off with a knife. Some men advocate cutting a small 

 hole out of which the testicle can be pulled, as is done 

 in castrating a colt, but this frequently causes trouble, 

 owing to the closing up of the small opening and a 

 formation of pus inside, which often results in the 

 animal's death. 



Keeping Tab on Sex. In the old days of heavy 

 brandings where the owners kept track of the sex, 

 it was the usual custom to keep the end of the scrotum 

 for a tally on the bull calves, and a piece of the ear 

 taken off for the heifers. As a general thing, however, 

 taking the usual run of brandings year after year, the 

 difference between the sexes is so small as to amount 

 practically to nothing. Sometimes in the spring round- 

 ups the heifer calves will run away ahead of the bulls, 

 but on the fall work the balance swings back and on the 

 final footings the proportion of each is close to one- 

 half. 



Ear Marks. Cattle, sheep and hogs are ear- 

 marked, but horses are seldom so disfigured, although 

 I have seen many ear-marked western range horses, 

 generally mares,, especially in the days when only the 

 geldings were sold or used. Following are some of the 

 prominent marks used. The combinations which can 

 be made are almost innumerable : 



