TENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART X 453 



or slightly deficient in each, thus making a lower grade through a combi- 

 nation of deficiencies." 



Lambs of the medium grade lack to a large extent the condition and 

 quality necessary in the prime lamb. 



"It is in this grade more than any discussed above that faulty form 

 is apparent. Long, loosely coupled bodies, with little spring of rib, and 

 rough outlines are frequently seen. Because they are coarse, underfin- 

 ished, and often paunchy, they do not dress a high percentage, and what 

 they do produce is without suflBcient fat to meet favor with dealers 

 who handle high-class mutton. Only the coarser, heavier pelted western 

 lambs are found in this grade, as the smoother, tidier range lambs in 

 underfinished condition are sold to go to the country as feeders. Many 

 native lambs, however, come in this grade, because those appearing on 

 the market in low condition or those on the coarse, 'bucky' order are not 

 sought as feeders." 



Lambs are in the common or cull grade chiefly because they are very 

 far below that condition of flesh that would make them desirable for 

 mutton. 



"Coarse, ill-shaped lambs commonly belong to this grade, but not un- 

 less they are noticeably lacking in quality of flesh and amount of fat. 

 Offerings in this grade are very light in weight, the range, with the one 

 exception (coarse, 'bucky' natives), being from 30 to 50 pounds." 



As practically all native lambs appearing in the market go to 

 slaughter, while thinner native lambs are sent to the country as feed- 

 ers, natives form the bulk of the common or cull lambs. 



"Under present methods of sheep husbandry, it is impossible to send 

 all native lambs to market in desirable condition, because growers of 

 natives have not yet learned how to keep them free from infestation 

 by internal parasites, and when they are infested to any great extent 

 they do not take on fat. 



"In both the common and medium grades are frequently seen what 

 are known as coarse, 'bucky' native lambs. These are the result of care- 

 less shepherding on the part of growers. If lambs are left entire they 

 rapidly become coarse when their sex instinct develops, and because of 

 this coarseness and the loss of fat resulting from a great amount of 

 freatful activity, they are undesirable as mutton. * * * Growers of 

 natives would save much to themselves annually if they would make it 

 a practice to castrate their ram lambs a few days after they are born. 

 These coarse, "bucky' lambs are heavier than the bulk of common lambs, 

 as they sometimes weigh as much as 100 pounds. 



"The term 'cull' is common parliance in sheep market circles, but 

 it has a double meaning. One applies to the lowest grade under a given 

 class, and it is in this sense that the writer uses the term; the other, 

 to the number a buyer may have the privilege to reject when purchasing 

 a band of lambs or sheep at a given price. Therefore, in defining the 

 lowest grade of lambs, the term 'common' is less confusing than the term 

 'cull.' " 



