JUDGING LIVE STOCK. 25 



their flesh will be well interspersed with fat, and therefore 

 tender. This means that they are practically beyond criti- 

 cism from any practical standpoint. 



Choice steers are usually lacking very slightly in quality 

 or condition. A steer lacking in good beef form could never 

 grade as choice, no matter what his quality or condition, for 

 the flesh would not be distributed over the valuable parts. 

 No man can cut a good roast from a narrow-backed, slab- 

 sided steer, no matter what his quality and condition may be. 

 As to whether quality or condition is lacking in choice steers, 

 depends entirely upon prices for cattle and feed. Cheap 

 feed usually brings steers to the choice grade that are defi- 

 cient in quality, rather than in condition, and vice versa. 



Good steers usually fall below the choice grades in the 

 same respects as choice steers fall below prime ones; but 

 they are more often deficient in quality than in condition. 



Medium steers are those that lack in form, quality or con- 

 dition to a considerable extent. Here animals would be 

 -classed that are good in quality and condition, but which fail 



