TYPES AND MARKET CLASSES OF LIVE STOCK 35 



parts, especially the texture of the muscles. The head should 

 be of medium size and should be clean-cut, presenting a sort 

 of chiseled appearance. The heads of many animals do not 

 exhibit that "finishing touch" which characterizes the head 

 expressive of refinement. Heavy bone, large rough joints, and 

 heavy horns show lack of quality. One of the best indications 

 of quality is the hide, which should be found pliable, easily 

 stretched, and only medium thick when rolled up in the hand. 

 The hair should be soft and fine. 



Quality is again shown by the smoothness of the animal, 

 both in frame and in fleshing. Coarse shoulders, rough hips, 

 and rough, uneven flesh show lack of quality. Quality and 

 good breeding are usually found together, and certainly the 

 animal with quality is the most desirable type for the producer 

 as well as for the consumer. Well-bred animals respond best 

 when fed out for the market. Coarse, rough animals yield 

 unattractive carcasses and inferior cuts of meat. 



Animals are sometimes found which possess too much 

 quality. In such cases there is a delicacy of make-up; quality 

 is purchased at the expense of constitution. Extreme quality 

 is also purchased at the expense of size, for over-refined animals 

 are usually undersized. The proper degree of quality represents 

 the middle ground between two extremes, each of which is 

 undesirable. This middle ground is hard to define; it may be 

 said that all the quality is wanted which may be had without 

 sacrifice of constitution and proper size. 



The fleshing of beef cattle is of the highest importance. 

 The fact that the butcher's block is the ultimate end, and beef 

 the ultimate product, must never be lost sight of by the breeder, 

 feeder, or judge of beef cattle. All over the body, and more 

 especially in the back, loin, and hindquarters, there should be 

 found a uniformly deep covering of flesh. The flat of the hand 

 pressed along the shoulder, back, or side should find a deep, 

 mellow fleshing, without any patchiness or bare spots. When 

 mature cattle are heavily fed they thicken in their flesh, and 

 this increase in thickness is due to a mixing of fat among the 

 muscle fibers, a storing of fat between the muscles and a laying 

 on of fat just beneath the skin. 



When studying the fleshing of an animal it is well to keep 

 in mind that the fleshing is made up partly of lean meat and 

 partly of fat. The lean meat or muscle which an animal carries 

 is often called the "natural flesh." We want as much natural 



