COW-HOUSES. 551 



The perfect mouth consists of eight cutting or incisory 

 teeth in the under jaw, and none in the upper, with six 

 grinders or molar teeth on each side, both in the upper and 

 lower jaw, making a total of thirty-two teeth. At three 

 years, the horns are furnished with a wrinkle at their base, 

 and every succeeding year they acquire an additional 

 wrinkle ; so that after the animal has reached its third year, 

 its age may at once be ascertained by counting the wrinkles 

 or circles at the base of the horns. In some cattle these 

 wrinkles are not so apparent as in others ; and many un- 

 principled dealers file down some of the wrinkles when they 

 wish to pass off old cattle for young ones, and thus deceive 

 those who are unsuspicious of the imposition. But experi- 

 enced persons may detect the trick by a close examination 

 of the horns, as it is hardly possible to perform this un- 

 worthy trick in so nice a manner as to give the part which 

 has been rasped down the natural appearance of the horn. 



CHAPTER VII. 



MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING, ETC., OF CATTLE. 



COW-HOUSES. 



Nothing is more conducive to the health, and consequently 

 to the feeding of the animal, than well-aired and ample 

 cow-houses. The dimensions of these will depend upon 

 the quantity of stock which the farmer may desive to bring 

 up for immediate and marketable purposes. Many different 

 plans have been adopted in the construction 0/ such build- 



