552 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Dec., 1899. 
Simonds’s Table of Early Average. Simonds’s Table of Late Average. Girard’s Table of Late Average. 
Improved Breeds. i Improved Breeds. Unimproved Breeds. 
= sh sy rae fete ; — 
Yee No. of Teeth. Yeu. | No. of Teeth. ¥. M. | No. of Teetli. 
1 9 2permanent incisors | 2 3 2 permanent incisors 2 3 | 2 permanent incisors 
2 3 ” ” hy RAY Me or) ” 3.0 4 2 ” 
29 |6 a7 Oe ale Se SPR O ie a £0 {6 Hi i" 
3 Sy Gh BS wh 3; f fete 9ceh8 we es;, i 50 |] cn . 
— Farmer and Stockbreeder. 
A writer in an American exchange says:—I have always regarded the horns 
of yery small importance in showing the age of the cow when buying. It is 
true that the horns indicate the age, but not always accurately. The rings 
usually begin to come with the first calf. For instance, if a heifer drops her 
first calf at two years old, the first ring counts two; but if she does not calve 
until three, then the first ring counts three years. After the cow gets along in 
years, the most important thing on which her continuance of usefulness depends 
?s the condition of her teeth. Generally, as long as her teeth last, she will 
continue to do well in the dairy; but when these fail, she will begin to go down 
hill. Therefore, it is never safe to buy a cow without looking at her teeth, for 
some fail sooner than others. For the benefit of those who are not in the habit 
of examining the teeth of the cow, I will describe their appearance at various 
stages. In determining the age of the cow, it is necessary only to examine the 
front teeth of the lower jaw—I say “lower” jaw, because a man came to buy 
a cow of me some time ago, and objected to taking her because she had no 
upper front teeth. The calf has eight small milk teeth ; but when nearing two 
years old, the two middle ones are replaced by two permanent and much larger 
ones, when her mouth presents the appearance of the upper part of Fig. 1. 
The two next ones come at three or a little before, two more at four, and 
at five years old the cow has a ful! mouth, much like those shown in the centre 
of Fig. 2. 
The two middle ones are at this time about 4-inch long, with the others 
growing shorter to the outside. After this the teeth grow shorter every year, 
and at seven years we may expect to find the teeth not much over }-inch in 
length. They keep on wearing off until, at nine or ten years, they are very 
much shorter, and seem narrowey, also, barely touching eac other. The gums 
also begin to shrink away, until sometimes a tooth or two may get knocked 
