H1STOKY OF HEKEFOKD CATTLE 



299 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 



TEETH AS INDICATIVE OF THE AGE OF CATTLE. 

 STOCK SHOW COMPARISONS 



SOME FAT 



We think it will be granted without con- 

 troversy, that if a three-year-old is shown 

 as a two-year-old, and a four-year-old as a 

 three-year-old, and a five or six-year-old in the 

 four-year-old class, there is ground for a 

 very decided protest from the owners of the 

 cattle that are exhibited at their right ages. 

 In this connection, at the risk of being tedious, 

 we shall introduce considerable testimony as 

 to the reliability of the teeth as indicators of 

 age in cattle, and as to irregularity and error 

 in the ages of Shorthorn steers, against which 

 Herefords were unfairly compelled to show. 

 We will also reproduce cuts of teeth to better 

 bring out this method of computing ages. 

 This we first brought out in the "Breeders' 

 Journal." In those days the "battle of the 

 1) reeds" was a reality, "a condition and not a 

 theory," as some "milk and water" adherents 

 of the cattle trade would have us now believe. 



Steers were exhibited at the Fat Stock Shows, 

 that, allowing all due latitude for reasonable 

 variation, carried around with them in their 

 mouths conclusive evidence as to their fraudu- 

 lent ages. It only needed to be utilized and 

 made a part of the showing to put them in the 

 class to which they belonged. 



To show that the age of animals has been 

 made a study by educated and perfectly re- 

 liable men, we were at much pains to procure 

 from the highest source obtainable the latest 

 and best information of the age of animals as 

 shown by their teeth. 



While in England we found that Prof. 

 Brown, who is at the head of the Veterinary 

 Department of the British Government, had 

 published under the auspices of the Eoyal Agri- 

 cultural Society cuts showing the ages of meat- 

 producing animals. These cuts agree substan- 

 tially with the cuts published herewith. From 

 these cuts exhibitors, judges and visitors at cat- 

 tle shows may be enabled to judge of the cor- 

 rectness of the ages of animals which are ex- 

 hibited. 



The steers exhibited by the T.L. Miller Co. in 

 November, 1882, at two years and nine months, 

 showed only four permanent incisors; at three 

 years and nine months only six; and so far 

 as we have examined we have found the same 

 results. 



Mr. John Price, of Court House, Pemb ridge, 

 England, had two steers, one three years and 

 six weeks, which had four full incisors, and the 

 adjoining calf teeth were still firm in their 

 sockets. Another steer at two years and five 

 months had four permanent incisors, and two 

 outside ones not yet fully grown. It will be 

 noticed that Prof. Brown and his associates 

 acted as inspectors for English exhibitions with 

 power to disqualify animals from exhibition. 



"Early maturity," says Prof. Brown, "is the 

 sine qua non of breeders and exhibitors of farm 

 stock, and it is one of the objects of agricul- 

 tural societies to encourage them in their efforts 

 to produce breeds which reach a state of per- 

 fect development at a comparatively youthful 

 period. 



"In order that judges of stock may be in a 

 position to decide between animals of un- 

 doubted merit, the age is in all cases to be taken 

 into account; and it is presumed that of the 

 competing animals, which are in other respects 

 equal, the youngest will receive the palm. 



"Whether or not the practice is invariably in 

 conformity with this theory may be open to 

 question, but there is no doubt that the prin- 

 ciple is correct, and in order that it may be car- 

 ried into effect it is necessary to inform the 

 judges of the exact age of each animal in every 

 class. 



"No argument is required to show that the 

 breeder's certificate would afford the most re- 

 liable evidence of an animal's age if scrupulous 

 exactitude and honesty were inherent human 

 qualities; it is equally obvious that in their 

 absence the evidence of a certificate is more 

 calculated to mislead than to assist the judg- 

 ment. 



