BREEDS OF BEEF CATTLE 287 



why they should remain in ignorance of what constitutes a proper 

 finish. The feeder should be taught as to what is meant by an ideal 

 beef, and encouraged to reach that ideal whenever it is possible, and 

 to be able to recognize it when it is reached. Such knowledge will 

 inspire a feeder to do better feeding and will undoubtedly result in the 

 marketing of better cattle. 



Another class of feeders may market their cattle in a finished 

 condition, but, not being able to recognize this condition, may be led 

 by unscrupulous buyers to imagine their cattle are not fat enough, 

 and sell them accordingly. Feeders need to know what they have 

 and what their cattle will show upon the block. The more knowledge 

 feeders have along these lines the more certain they are to be re- 

 spected and to get their just dues. (Kan. B. 118.) 



The Butcher. The butcher buys a beef animal for the amount 

 of lean meat he is able to cut from it, and especially for the amount of 

 lean in the high-priced cuts. He wants just as little waste as possi- 

 ble. It is his business to cater to the desires of the consumer, and 

 whatever the consumer demands he tries to secure in the purchase of 

 a beef animal. 



The Consumer. The consumer dictates to the butcher, the 

 butcher to the feeder, and the feeder to the breeder; in other words, 

 the consumer is the supreme judge as to what constitutes good beef, 

 and all the others must bow to his judgment. There is no question 

 but that the consumer is demanding more lean and less fat. As in- 

 dicated in the cooking tests, there must be enough fat distributed 

 among the fibers of the lean to make the meat tender and well fla- 

 vored, but the heavy layers of fat are now relegated to the tallow box, 

 and not served on the meat platter. If this be true, it behooves both 

 the breeder and feeder to produce beef animals that will furnish the 

 largest amount of well-marbled meat in the highest-priced cuts with 

 the least amount of extraneous fat. (Kansas B. 118.) 



DAIRY TYPE STEERS COMPARED TO BEEF TYPE. 



Dairy type steers show a considerably higher percentage of fat 

 and a lower dressing percentage. They also carry a higher percent- 

 age of fat on internal organs, thereby increasing the total weight of 

 cheap parts. Beef type steers carry a higher percentage of valuable 

 cuts and also furnish heavier and thicker cuts ; they are more evenly 

 and neatly covered with outside fat and show superior marbling of 

 flesh. The flesh of beef type steers is brighter red in the lean and 

 the fat a little clearer white, but there is little difference in fineness of 

 grain of the lean meat. 



It is neither profitable nor desirable to feed steers of dairy type 

 for beef purposes. They are unsatisfactory to the consumer, because 

 they do not furnish thick and well marbled cuts; they are unsatis- 

 factory to the butcher because they furnish low-grade carcasses which 

 are difficult to dispose of and they are decidedly unsatisfactory to the 

 feeder, because they yield him little or no profit and both breeder and 

 feeder waste their time in producing such a type of steer for beef 

 purposes. (la. B. 81.) 



