JUDGING LIVE STOCK. 37 



Over this bony framework the muscles which protect 

 the vital organs, and which enable the animal to perform the 

 functions of life breathing, eating, moving, etc. are dis- 

 tributed. The hindquarters have many large, powerful mus- 

 cles, extending from the hips to the hocks; the loin has 

 large muscles on its upper, or external face, and some smaller 

 ones on the internal face; and along the vertebral column, 

 in the angle formed by the spinous processes and ribs are 

 several pairs of muscular formations which bend the back 

 downward or to one side. These extend from about the 

 region of the loin, to the first three large spinous processes 

 of the back, while a portion of one pair of these muscles 

 extends into the neck. 



The muscles of the fore limbs are such as the animal 

 needs to move with, and while similar in many respects to 

 the muscles of the hindquarters they are not so extensive. 

 The region of the neck also has some very large, powerful 

 muscles. 



Careful investigation has shown that those muscles 

 which are most used, are coarsest in fibre, and toughest for 

 human consumption. On the other hand those least used 

 are finest in fibre, and most tender. Thus it is that the 

 muscles of the neck are coarse, tough, and undesirable for 

 food. Those of the fore limbs but slightly less so, while 

 those of the hindquarters, back and loin, furnish the most 

 tender cuts. 



The foregoing explains the reason for the high value 

 placed on the cuts from the back, loin and hindquarters. In 

 the city markets the carcass is divided into certain parts, as 

 shown in the accompanying chart, and the value of the parts 

 above mentioned is triple that of the other portions of the 

 body. Since threse are the valuable portions, it is but natural 

 that the butcher should seek for animals possessing a high 

 proportion of valuable cuts. He finds this in animals that 

 possess certain definite characteristics. 



A broad back, and long, wide, hindquarters, afford 

 greater space for flesh carrying, and greater muscular devel- 

 opment is invariably associated with such form. The butcher 

 is, therefore, able to estimate the amount of valuable meat 

 present from the width of back 'and hindquarters and the 

 filling of flesh in these parts. The forequarters and lower 

 parts of the body furnish less valuable meat. He, therefore. 



