114 Forty Years' Experience of a Practical Hog Man. 



ferent sized crates ■wMch will answer the purpose in ship- 

 ping different sized pigs or hogs. 



Length Height ' Width 



3' 28" 14" 



3' 6" 30" 18" 



4' 30" 20" 



4' 6" 32" 22" 



5' 34" 22" 



6' 36" 24" 



Bottoms are made by using strips one inch thick and one 

 and one-half inches wide. Lay them down the length of the 

 crate and build the floor on them crossways. The sides are 

 fastened by nailing to the under strip, which is flush with 

 the floor. All standards are on the outside of crate to pre- 

 vent the strips being pushed off if the animal presses 

 against the side of the crate. Tops are made lengthwise 

 with cross piece at front, middle, and one inch from back, 

 so tail boards can be put in up and down; these are less 

 liable to rub tail than when a hog is nailed in with strips 

 across the crate as in front. Crates four and one-half feet 

 long, and longer, should have center standard to strengthen 

 the crate. Bred sows should have good roomy crates, 

 especially in width. 



I believe that linn — sometimes called basswood — 

 makes even a better crate than elm or poplar, but this 

 is also hard to be found and as high in price as clear 

 cork pine, so that one is almost compelled to use such 

 material as can be found in his own vicinity. We have 

 used a little half-inch beechwood for the sides of ei^ates 

 for light pigs, which is fairly satisfactory but inclined 

 to split when driving nails in it, unless previously 

 softened by placing tho ends in water. We once bought 

 a dozen or so of the nicest shipping crates that it is pos- 

 sible to imagine, made of electric welded woven wire 

 sides, end and top, so hinged and locked together that they 

 made an ideal crate which could be quickly knocked down 

 and returned in a collapsed form to the shipper. A plainly 

 printed, substantial tag was fastened on each crate giving 

 directions to the receiver of the animal, to please knock 

 down and return. This was usually done, but occasionally 

 a man receiving it, would either forget to return the crate 

 or imagine that it belonged to him, and in this way the 



