60 



Types and Market Classes of Live Stock 



High-priced and low-priced cuts. — The average price for the entire 

 No. 1 carcass is, then, 17.2 cents per pound. From the foregoing table 

 it is seen that the loin and rib constitute 28 per cent of the carcass 

 weight, but bring 51 per cent of the total return from the sale of the 

 cuts from the No. 1 carcass; and that the loin, rib, and round constitute 

 half of the carcass weight, but bring 70 per cent of the return from the 

 sale of the wholesale cuts. The 180 pounds of loin, rib, and round 

 have an average price of 23.9 cents per pound, while the remainder of 

 the side, also weighing 180 pounds, brings an average of 10.4 cents. 

 Hence the packer wants cattle as highly developed in back, loin, rump, 

 and round as possible. Buyers of cattle for slaughter emphasize this 

 point. They want cattle smoothly and heavily fleshed in all parts, 

 and especially in the four parts mentioned. The selling price of a load 

 of cattle is greatly dependent on this feature. 



Note that there is much less variation in price between No. 1 and 

 No. 3 rounds than between the corresponding grades of loins or ribs. 

 The No. 1 loin has a total value twice as great as the No. 1 round, but 

 the No. 3 round has a greater total value than the No. 3 loin. This 

 is due to the fact that all grades of rounds contain but little fat, whereas 

 loins and ribs of the various grades show a vast difference in finish. 

 In other words there is much less difference in the quality and finish of 

 the rounds yielded by fat and thin cattle than there is in the quality 

 and finish of the loins or ribs. 



Why loin, rib, and round are in greater demand. — The loin and 

 rib bring high prices as compared to other parts of the carcass because 

 of their superior tenderness, marbling, and palatability, combined with 

 attractive appearance. The round brings a good price because it con- 

 tains so much lean and so little bone and outside fat. Other parts of 

 the carcass are as nutritious as the loin, rib, and round, but are diflicult 

 to cook in such a way that they appeal to us as do the porterhouse, 

 sirloin, and rib roast. But a carcass will yield only so much of these, 

 hence the great variation in the price of the various wholesale cuts. 



