388 DOMESTIC ANIMALS, DAIRYING, ETC. 



The degree of development in this characteristic is one of the 

 most important in determining the value of fat lambs. General 

 quality is indicated by a medium sized, clean cut head, ears of fine 

 texture, and fine, but strong bone, a light pelt, and full, well-rounded 

 outlines. All these suggest a freedom from that coarseness which 

 adds to the waste in dressing, and the unattractiveness which works 

 against the value of the carcass. Of the items of general quality 

 enumerated, lightness of pelt is the most essential. By pelt is meant 

 the skin and wool combined. To secure a pelt of light weight, the 

 skin should be comparatively thin and free from folds or wrinkles, 

 and the wool should not be very dense or oily. 



The terms quality and condition are frequently used inter- 

 changeably on the market, and chiefly because the quality of flesh 

 is largely dependent upon condition. By condition is meant the 

 degree of fatness of a lamb. The reasons why a lamb should be fat 

 are (a) Other things being equal, there will not be as high a per- 

 centage of offal as in the half fat, or the thin lamb; (b) the fat adds 

 to the attractiveness of the carcass, and thus makes it more inviting 

 to the purchaser; (c) the comparatively fat carcass loses less in weight 

 in the process of cooling out in the refrigerator and also in cooking ; 

 (d) some fat on the outside of the lean meat and a considerable 

 amount deposited through it adds to its palatability by making it 

 more juicy and of better flavor. 



Desirable quality of flesh is indicated by firmness along the 

 back, at the loins, over the sides and at the leg of mutton. Hard QS 

 a board is a favorite phrase with many sheepmen to describe a back 

 having desirable quality of flesh. 



Weight is a factor that varies somewhat with the different sea- 

 sons in the year, but in general, the lamb of prime quality and con- 

 dition and weighing 80 pounds sells at the highest price. When 

 spring lambs first appear on the market they weigh little more 

 than 60 pounds, but if they have the quality and finish they easily 

 command top prices. During the summer months consumers of 

 mutton desire small cuts because they do not eat large quantities of 

 meat in warm weather, and this gives rise to a strong demand for 

 lambs ranging in weight from 65 to 70 pounds. There never is a 

 time, however, when lambs weighing 80 pounds will not sell as 

 prime, provided they are prime in form, quality, and condition. 



Choice Lambs. This is the grade that includes by far the 

 greater number of the better offerings upon the Chicago market. 

 To grade as choice, lambs cannot fall below the requirements for 

 prime lambs to any marked degree. They must have the form, 

 quality, and condition that make them desirable as mutton of a 

 high class. They usually fail to sell as prime lambs because they 

 are not quite up to the standard in quality, condition, or weight. 

 While lambs frequently fail to grade higher than choice because of 

 their quality or their weight, a lack in condition is most often the 

 retarding factor. 



Good Lambs. Upon the market, buyers and salesmen often 

 prefer to speak of a band of lambs as being good to choice rather 



