CATTLE, HOW TO TELL THE AGE. 
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figure 3 ; at a month old the jaw will contain eight incisors, and present 
the appearance as in figure 4. The mouth is then called full, as contain- 
ing the ultimate number of incisors. These are not permanent, but 
temporary, or milk teeth, as they are called. At six to eight months old 
the central teeth begin to be worn, and show smaller than the others, see 
figure 5. At ten months absorption and the widening of the jaw will 
have carried the two central teeth still farther away from each other, and 
two other teeth, one on each side, will have begun to diminish, in fact 
will have distinct spaces between them, sec figure 6. At twelve months 
absorption will have continued to two more teeth, leaving intact only the 
two outside teeth, figure 7. At fifteen months the whole of the teeth 
will present the appearance as seen in figure 8. At this timo the true or 
permanent teeth will have been growing in the jaw, between and back of 
tho milk teeth. Figure 9 shows the appearance at fifteen months of age, 
the two permanent central teeth appearing in the place of the two first 
milk teeth which have disappeared, and the other permanent teeth nro 
shown in their several stages of growth. Figures 10, 11 and 12 show 
the teeth at two, three and four years past. At the age of five years 
tho animal will have a full mouth, as shown in figure 13, and at ten years 
the incisors will present the appearance as in figure 14. 
Thus any person by the use of the chart, and by examination of the teeth 
of cows, of ages known to correspond therewith, may easily become an 
accurate and prompt judge of the age of cattle, up to the age Gj. four- 
ycars. It will be seen, however, that in the four year old mouth, tho 
two central pairs of teeth are beginning to be worn down at tho edges, 
and in a ilat direction, or inclining slightly to the inside ; yet the animal 
has not a full mouth — that is, the incisors are not all fully up until it i3 
live years old. See figure 14. 
At live years old the teeth are all fully grown, and the peculiar mark 
on the teeth, called the cup, is shown in all. At the same timo all will 
have become flattened, while on the two center ones there begins to be a 
distinct darker line in the middle, bounded by a line of harder bono. 
From this time on we may depend both on the incisors and the grinders. 
At six years old the animal will have acquired the last grinding tooth. 
This is the sixth molar and is, from the beginning, a permanent tooth. 
From this time until the eighth year, and indeed thereafter, in determining 
the age of tho animal, the nature of the soil upon which it has been fed 
must be taken into account. Gritty, close fed pastures will wear them 
faster, and flush pastures slower. Thus in all the pasture regions of the 
West, and Southwest, the wear will be light. As a general rule, but 
admitting of many exceptions, at seven years old this line is becoming 
broader and more irregular in all of the teeth ; and a second and broader, 
