.11 "DC IXC IJV10 STOCK. 



171 



assistance, and some butchers estimate condition from the 

 fullness of the purse. At any of these points, more especially 

 the back, the covering should be such in the prime lamb as 

 to prevent feeling the sharp projections of the backbone. In 

 fact, it can hardly be said that a lamb is really prime unless 

 instead of projection of backbone there is a distinct groove 

 running from the tail to the shoulders, and this covering 

 should extend well down over the sides without softness due 

 to excessive fat or oily tissue. All lambs do not fatten as 

 smoothly or as uniformly as herein indicated. In most lambs, 

 however, the worst defect is bareness of the loin and light- 

 ness in the hindquarters. With these parts well covered and 

 fully developed, a rather sharp shoulder and peaked brisket 

 may be overlooked. Not only should the flesh be even over 

 the valuable cuts, but it should be firm. Very often it will 

 be found that soft rough patches will be present about the 

 head of the tail, o~ving to the depositing of too much soft 

 flesh on the back, which may slip from there on the over- 

 ripe lamb and gather at the flank or along the sides in long 

 soft rolls." 



At one hundred pounds weight the lamb should be fat in 

 order to suit the demands of the market. The judge decides 

 as to condition usually by the thickness of loin, scrag and 

 fullness of cod or flank. The carcass of mutton is divided 

 into seven cuts: leg or gigot, loin, rib, breast, neck or scrag, 

 shoulder, shank, valued as follows: leg lOc, loin 9c, rib 9c, 

 breast 2c, shank 2c, shoulder 2c, and neck Ic. 



In an experiment conducted by Professor Curtiss at this 

 station in 189G he found the following average in ten each 

 of seven mutton breeds of sheep: 



Leg, 22.2 pounds, at lOc $2.22 



Loin, 17.5 pounds, at 9c 1.57 



Rib, 14.5 pounds, at 9c 1.30 



Chuck, 19.8 pounds, at l%c . 5.34 



$5.43 



From the above it will be seen that the leg, loin and rib 

 constitute the valuable cuts of a mutton carcass, especially 

 it is true of the leg, which must be developed both inside and 

 outside, or the carcass will be much depreciated in value. 



