HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



301 



FIG. 3. CALF'S TEETH AT 

 THIRD WEEK. 



expressed their views on the subject of denti- 

 tion, as indicative of the age, in the agricul- 

 tural press. Mr. James Howard, M. P., wrote 

 a letter to the 'Agricultural Gazette/ from 

 which the following paragraph is quoted : 



" 'According to my own observation the den- 

 tition varied much according to families, and 

 to a considerable extent in the same family, but 

 in the majority of cases dentition in the same 



litter is tolerably 

 uniform when 

 three months old; 

 at six months the 

 boars, and particu- 

 larly the more ro- 

 bust ones, show a 

 marked forward- 

 ness; at nine 

 months the denti- 

 tion is often very 

 varied; at twelve 

 months some of the 

 pigs of the same 

 litter will show a 

 state of dentition 



from two to three months in advance of others, 

 and also in advance of the condition laid down 

 in Prof. Simond's treatise/ 



"This definite statement of the results of his 

 own observations, by an eminent breeder and 

 exhibitor, was far too important to pass over 

 without notice. It will be observed that Mr. 

 Howard's remarks had reference to the most 

 critical ages, viz., six months, nine months and 

 twelve months, and I, perhaps not unreason- 

 ably, indulged a hope that I might obtain an 

 exact account of the particular variations which 

 had been noted at the ages named. I therefore 

 wrote to Mr. Howard for the information. In 

 reply Mr. Howard enclosed a memorandum 

 from his farm manager, expressing at the same 

 time his regret that he did not take notes, add- 

 ing that the farm manager is a most reliable 

 and truthful man. 



"The memorandum from the farm manager 

 is as follows: 



" 'Britannia Farm, Bedford, Mar. 1, 1882. 

 " 'The subject of dentition as indicating the 

 ages of pigs was first brought under my notice 

 when a pen of your pigs were disqualified at 

 Birmingham show some years ago, and to prove 

 for my own private satisfaction whether it 

 could be relied upon, I from time to time ex- 

 amined litters when in my possession. I should 

 think my examinations extended for about three 

 years, and I know proved conclusively to my 

 mind that no reliance can be placed on the 

 dentition of a litter as a true test of the age. 



I kept no account or notes of my examinations 

 at that time, not thinking it would come to 

 such prominence as at the present time. The 

 results were as given by you in a former letter, 

 from which the enclosed paragraph is taken.' 



"The enclosed paragraph referred to was the 

 paragraph (quoted above) from Mr. Howard's 

 letter to the 'Agricultural Gazette/ 



"Another inquiry, which was instituted about 

 the same time as the above, ended in an equally 

 unsatisfactory manner. 



"Mr. Sanders Spencer informed me that he 

 had in his possession a pig of one year old 

 which had the lateral permanent incisors. As 

 such an abnormal state of dentition had not 

 been seen before an opportunity was sought to 

 inspect this dental phenomenon. Unfortu- 

 nately the application was made too late. Mr. 

 Spencer wrote in response: 



"'Holywell Manor, St. Ives, Hunts, 



" 'February 6, 1882. 



" 'The yelt I mentioned to you on Thursday 

 failed to breed, so she was sold to our village 

 butcher, to whom I will today apply and try 

 to obtain from him or the purchaser the lower 

 jaw of the pig and will forward it to you 

 if not damaged, as they usually are by the 

 butcher when chopping off the snout. I be- 

 lieve I did not mention to you the circum- 

 stances that one of the yelt's central incisors 

 (temporary) was broken off, so that the ab- 

 normal dentition may have been caused by ac- 

 cident/ 



"The promised specimen was not obtained, 

 but in reply to another letter of inquiry Mr. 

 Spencer wrote as follows: 



" 'After finding the yelt had cut her perma- 

 nent lateral incisors, I examined her molars, 

 but found nothing 

 unusual in their de- 

 velopment. Nos. 1 

 and 2 were very 

 much worn, and 

 seemed quite ready 

 to move for the per- 

 manent ones. No. 

 5 looked very white, 

 but was apparently 

 fully grown/ ' ; 



"It appears from 

 the above remarks 

 that the state of 

 dentition in respect 

 of the molar teeth was exactly what it is ex- 

 pected to be at the age of one year, while the 

 incisors indicated the animal to be six months 

 older. That such a specimen was lost must 

 remain a subject of regret. 



FIG. 4. 



CALF'S TEETH AT 

 1 MONTH. 



