FARM ANIMALS 97 



This completes the list of pure breeds of beef 

 cattle in the United States, with the exception 

 of the occasional introduction of some European 

 type by a fancier without any definite purpose 

 in view. There are a few specimens of Holder- 

 ness cattle in different parts of the country, 

 particularly in New York. This animal is es- 

 sentially a variation of the Shorthorn and resembles 

 it in most particulars, excepting as to coloration, 

 which may show more irregular white spots 

 than are shown upon the Shorthorn. 



MARKET CLASSES AND GRADES 



Sharp distinction must be made between market 

 classes of beef animals and market grades. These 

 differences have been drawn in a very satis- 

 factory manner by the Illinois Experiment Station. 

 The classes recognized include beef cattle, Texas 

 and Western range cattle, butcher stock, cutters 

 and canners, and stockers and feeders, and 

 veal calves, while the grades usually recognized 

 on the market are prime, choice, good, medium, 

 common and inferior, referring obviously to the 

 quality of the beef rather than to the form and 

 condition. 



Beef Cattle. This class includes all grades 

 of steers and heifers in the case of which serious 

 efforts have been made to put them in proper 

 market condition. The steers in this class range 

 in weight from 900 to 1,600 pounds, depending 

 on the grade. Prime steers should weigh from 

 1,200 to 1,600 pounds, and quality and condition 

 are always important features in determining 

 the market value of these animals. In this 

 class we also have shipping steers which are 



