56 



Types and Market Classes of Live Stock 



yellow fat. Cattle of Jersey and Guernsey breeding usually kill very 

 yellow. 



8. Grain of meat. — When the fresh-cut surface is viewed, it 

 should show a smooth, fine-grained appearance, and should feel 

 "velvety" to the touch. Meat with fine grain comes from the animal 

 with quality, that is, one with fine hide, hair, and bone. Such an 

 animal is finely textured throughout, and if well fed, so that the baby 

 fleshing is preserved, a carcass with fine-grained flesh will result. Some 

 meats are very coarse indeed. 



9. Size of bones. — The bones should be as small as the weight 

 of the carcass will allow. From the producer's standpoint, however, 

 such carcasses do not always represent greatest profits, because ex- 



FlG. 13. — Well-marbled beef. Rib roast showing correct proportion of fat to 

 lean, and a high degree of marbling. 



tremely fine-boned cattle do not usually make the greatest gains on 

 feed. 



10. Flintiness of bones. — As already shown, flintiness of the 

 bones is an indication of age. The most desirable carcasses are those 

 of young animals approaching maturity, the meat from old ones being 

 tough, dark-colored, and lacking in marbling. The bones of cows and 

 heifers, and of dairy-bred animals, turn hard and white earlier than 

 those of steers, indicating quicker maturity. 



Grading carcasses. — As to the relative importance of the above 

 factors in grading carcass beef, it may be said that finish (by which is 

 meant the thickness and smoothness of outside fat) is particularly 



