The Early Fattening of Cattle and Sheejj. 
55 
after three years and a quarter ; and I have repeatedly examined 
animals whose ages ranged from three and three-quarters to four 
years, and found these teeth in the act of cutting. On the other 
hand, I have occasionally seen them, in Shorthorn bulls, fairly 
through the gum at thi-ee years and a month.'"' He says that 
Shorthorns and Herefords had furnished him with the greatest 
number of cases of early dentition, and in his Tables of early and 
late dentition the Professor notes that the period of cutting the 
incisors is among other causes dependent on breed. One would 
not expect to meet with early dentition among the wild cattle 
of Chillingham or Chartley Parks. 
As might be expected, sheep obey the same law as cattle, and 
Cotswolds, which took the first place at Islington last December 
in the contest between young fat sheep, were observed by Pro- 
fessor Simonds to be earlier in dentition than Southdowns, 
Shropshires, or Hampshire Downs ; Leicesters following closely 
after them. 
Professor Brown's experience resembles that of his pre- 
decessor, for, although he does not appear to have noticed any 
further advance since 1850, he found, from numerous obser- 
vations in that year, that the teeth of cattle, sheep, and swine 
were developed at much earlier periods than those which were 
stated in the works of Youatt. If, therefore, the accounts of 
the older veterinary writers on dentition are correct, we may 
certainly infer, from the evidence of the modern experts I have 
just quoted, that improved systems of breeding and feeding 
have induced an earlier development of the teeth in cattle, sheep, 
and swine. 
Physiologists inform us that the completion of permanent 
dentition is a fair test of maturity ; and as that period appears 
to have been hastened, it may perhaps be possible to induce 
cattle and sheep to produce their young at an earlier period than 
heretofore. This has, in fact, been done by those who use lambs 
for breeding purposes, and by those numerous breeders of cattle 
who arrange for the first calf when the heifer is two and a half 
years old, or about six months before the completion of per- 
manent dentition. 
Few persons are engaged at present in systematic experi- 
ments with a view to earlier development than has heretofore 
obtained among animals that are bred for food. In offering: 
some evidence on this subject, I propose to quote the opinion 
and practices of the late Sir. John Coleman, who was a con- 
sistent advocate of early maturity both in breeding and feeding, 
believing that heifers might produce their first calf at little over 
two years old, and sheep when one year old, without injury to 
