FOR MUTTON AND WOOL 111 



a lamb of the weight mentioned, because as a rule such 

 usually dress better and the cuts are smaller. 



157. The Type Desired by the Butcher. If we 



were to consider only the things that have the most im- 

 portance in the view of the butcher we would have a very 

 queerly formed sheep presented to us. The butcher is 

 very desirous of obtaining the greatest percentage of 

 valuable cuts, consequently the different parts of a lamb 

 from a butcher's point of view show a wide variation 

 from the feeder's and breeder's ideal. In the lamb 

 that is ideal from a butcher's standpoint, it would 

 not be necessary to have any neck, chest, digestive 

 apparatus or leg. As may be seen from the illustration 

 herewith submitted, the neck has a value of only one cent 

 per pound, the shoulder is two cents and the shanks tha 

 same. The rib running from the point of the shoulder to 

 the loin has a value of nine cents per pound, and the same 

 is true of the loin ; while the leg of mutton has the high- 

 est value per pound, as that is quoted at ten cents. The 

 breast and chest have the very low value of two cents per 

 pound. It is very evident from these facts that the back, 

 loin and the leg are the three divisions that are most 

 prized in the lambs that would be ideal from the butcher's 

 standpoint. 



158. Quality. After the form of the sheep has been 

 carefully examined the quality should be noticed. This 

 means the cleanness of the bone, fineness of the skin and 

 the nature of the hair which covers the face and legs. 

 These are important features in either breeding or fat 

 sheep. It is perhaps the most valuable from the butcher's 

 standpoint, because the waste is less from a sheep of 

 good quality than it is from one that is inferior. The 

 range in the percentage of dressed weight in lambs will 

 vary from 50 per cent to 60 per cent of their live 



