STRUCTURE OF THE OX. 625 



VI. Teeth of the Ox. 



The ox has 32 teeth. These are divided into 24 grinding or molar 

 teeth, six on each side of each upper and lower jaw, and 8 nippers or 

 cutting teeth (incisors) in the front lower jaw. The ox has no canine 

 teeth (tushes,) and no teeth in the front part of the upper jaw. In 

 place of the front upper incisors, those of the lower jaw meet against a 

 callosity above, thick, hard and, in old cattle, almost horny. Scientific- 

 ally the teeth are represented by the following Dental formula : 

 Genus Bos. Cattle ; incisors, ^, canines, g, molars, | |. = Total, 32 teeth. 



But in order that the reader may judge accurately of the age of any 

 animal of the genus Bos, but especially the age of cattle, a chart is an- 

 nexed, showing the nippers, (incisors,) from birth up to the age of five 

 years past^ — that is, up to the sixth year ; and also the teeth as they appear 

 at ten years of age. 



An ox at five years old, is past his prime for beef, and at six is past 

 his prime for economical farm labor, except at heavy, slow draft. The 

 cow will breed good calves from three years to the age of ten years, and 

 often up to fifteen years. The bull should be sure in his get, up to about 

 the age of eight years, after which he usually gets logy. 



VTI. Age of Cattle told by the Chart. 



The age of cattle is only told by the horns and the teeth. The horns 

 will show the age with reason-able accuracy up to the age of six years, by 

 means of the annual rings, and tolerably well up to the age of ten, un- 

 less they have been filed, sand-papered and oiled to deceive. As the 

 animal gets older, the annual rings, or wrinkles, of the horns become con- 

 fused by growing together. 



Mr. Youatt, in his analysis of the teeth of the ox, gives six years as 

 the age at which the animal attains the full mouth, such as we have shown 

 at five years past. In his day, cattle were slower in maturing than now, 

 and they were certainly kept in service to a greater age. If the animal 

 is badly kept during the winter, and is turned upon insufficient pasture 

 in summer, development will, of course, be slower. After the teeth arc 

 mature, if the pasture is short and gritty, they will be worn away faster. 



The rules we give for determining the ages of modern cattle apply to 

 well-kept, early-developing animals. Woods-cattle, those raised in the 

 timber on scant fare, might present the same appearance at six years old 

 that we have shown for five years past. In studying the chart, therefore, 

 allowance nmst be made for the contingencies we have named. A. refer- 

 ence to the chart will show that at birth there are but two central teethr 

 tigure 1 ; at two weeks the calf will have four teeth, figure 2 ; at three 

 weeks it will have six teeth, figure 3 ; at a month old the jaw will con* 



