354 [ASSEMBLTT 



When one year old, this animal will weigh half a ton, and will be 

 worth as much as the two cows that brought him up. 



Such has. been the result of an experiment I have tried; but please 

 remember, the calf must present the points before mentioned. The 

 usual mode practiced, generally speaking, in this country and Eng- 

 land is, to allow the calf to suck the cow three times each day, at 

 stated hours, for three days, after which it is taken from the cow, 

 and fed three times each day on her milk, for one week, then twice 

 each day for a month, when it is sold to the butcher for twenty shil- 

 lings, having eaten $7 worth of butter; or if intended to be raised, 

 is turned into a pasture lot, where it obtains a scanty subsistence, and 

 at one year old weighs 400 lbs., and may be bought for $4.00, and 

 is dear at that, having no constitution, and being subject to diarrhoea 

 and numerous diseases of the oesophagus, inducing consumptions, 

 which in animals is contagious and may be imparted to a whole herd. 

 The oesophagus is the tube through which the food when first eaten 

 is conveyed into the first stomach, afterwards it again passes back 

 "while the animal is ruminating, through the same channel, undergoes 

 a second mastication before being conveyed into the digestive stomach; 

 plainly showing that the oesophagus performs severe duty, and the 

 consequent necessity of preventing disease from attacking it. 



This is only effected by proper food; suppose a child should be 

 taken from its mother's breast, at three days old, and fed upon 

 skimmed milk, how would he compare as far as constitution is con- 

 cerned, with the child brought up in the usual manner. At birth the 

 calf has but two central teeth, at the end of the second week it has 

 four, at the end of the third six, when one month old he has eight; 

 at two months the edge of the four central teeth are somewhat worn, 

 at eighteen months all the centre teeth or incisors are very much 

 worn, and the corner teeth will not be more than half their natural 

 size; when two years have elapsed the two central teeth are pushed 

 out by two permanent teeth or incisors, when four years old the steer 

 will have six permanent teeth, and two milk teeth, when five years 

 old he will have eight permanent teeth, at six years old the eight in- 

 cisors will all be the same size, and all flattened on the top; at ten 

 years old the four incisors in the centre will be greatly diminished; 

 at eleven years the six central teeth are still more diminished; at 

 twelve they are all small, and the inside worn down as low as the 

 gum; at sixteen years the animal can only live on meal and soft food, 

 on which he will exist until the age of twenty-one years. When the 

 ox is four years old he has thirty-two teeth, viz: eight incisors in the 

 lower jaw, three molars in each upper jaw, and below on either side. 



