426 Western Live-stock Management 
systematic. The most satisfactory one is described as 
follows: One notch on the outer margin of the left ear, 
half way between the tip and base, means one; a similar 
notch on the same location of the right ear means ten. 
Two notches on the outer margin of the left ear, half way 
between the point and base, means two, and similarmarks 
on the right ear, twenty. A single notch near the base of 
the left ear, on the outer margin, means three, while a 
similar notch on the right ear means thirty. A three 
notch and a one notch mean four, and a thirty notch and 
a ten notch mean forty. A notch at the tip of the left 
ear means five, and a notch at the tip of the right ear 
means fifty. Six is five and one, seven, five and two, 
eight, five and three, nine, five and three and one; while 
sixty, seventy, cighty, and ninety are like combinations on 
the right ear. A single notch on the front margin of the 
left ear, about half an inch from the tip, is 100, while a 
similar notch on the right ear is 1000. Two notches near 
together on the front of the left ear mean 200, and similar 
notches on the right ear, 2000. A notch near the base 
of the front margin of the left ear is 300, and a similar 
one on the right ear is 3000. A hole punched through the 
middle of the left ear is 500, while a similar hole through 
the right ear is 5000; 400 is made with a 300 and a 100 
notch; 600 of 500 and 100; 700 of 500 and 200; 800 of 
500 and 300; 900 of 500, 300, and 100; while the corre- 
sponding thousands are made up in the same way, except 
on the right ear. Other systems suggested are based on the 
number 3 instead of 10, but the decimal system is much 
more satisfactory. The hardest numbers to make out 
are the three and thirty notches. But if these are not 
placed too near the head, they can ordinarily be read 
without having to feel for them. If market pigs only 
