. Cattle. Cattle; Cattle. 194 CATTLE. At eight years a change takes place which cannot be mistaken. The process of absorption has again commenced in the central inci- sors ; it is slow in progress, and is never carried to the extent seen in the milk teeth, but is sufficiently plain, and the two central teeth are evidently smaller than their neighbors. A consideiable chano-e has also taken place on the surface of the teeth; the two dark marks are rubbed into one in all but the corner teeth. At ten, the four central incisors are diminished in size, and the mark is becoming smaller and fainter. T
. Cattle. Cattle; Cattle. 194 CATTLE. At eight years a change takes place which cannot be mistaken. The process of absorption has again commenced in the central inci- sors ; it is slow in progress, and is never carried to the extent seen in the milk teeth, but is sufficiently plain, and the two central teeth are evidently smaller than their neighbors. A consideiable chano-e has also taken place on the surface of the teeth; the two dark marks are rubbed into one in all but the corner teeth. At ten, the four central incisors are diminished in size, and the mark is becoming smaller and fainter. The cut represents the mouth at this age. At eleven, the six central ones are smaller ; and at twelve, all of them are very considera- bly diminished ; but not to the same extent as in the young beast. The mark is now nearly obliterated, except in the cor- ner teeth, and the inside edge is worn down to the gum. The beast is now getting old ; the teeth continue to diminish, and the animal, after fourteen or sixteen years old, is often not able to maintain full condi- tion. He must then be partly ten years. fed, yet there are many instan- ces in which favorite bulls last more than twenty years, and cows of the same age who pasture with the rest of the dairy, and give a fair quantity of milk. Some writers have asserted that a good cow will continue good until that age ; but both in quantity and quality of milk, as a general rule, a good cow will not continue to breed and give milk until twenty years old. This method of iudcnnor of the acre of cattle bv the teeth is more satisfactory than by"* the horns, and little imposition can be prac- tised, whether the animal be young or old. From six to nine we can only guess at the age ; but we can form a shrewd guess, and can scarcely be out more than a few months. In the horn we are subject to imposition ; we are obliged to ask questions as to the first calf; and, when the animal gets old, the rings often present a c«jnfusion of which
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