102 



Types and Maricet Classes of Live Stock 



Steer and Heifer Beef 



The heading of this chapter, "Fashions in Market Cattle," impHes 

 that the demands of the cattle market are subject to change. The 

 truth of this has been shown by the preceding discussion of the trend 

 away from the old-time, heavy, matured beeves, and toward the finish- 

 ing of younger cattle. The word, "fashions," also implies that the 

 market indulges in some practices that are not entirely utilitarian and 

 practical, but are more or less fanciful and whimsical. That this is 

 true will be shown by a consideration of the cattle market's discrimina- 

 tion against fat heifers as compared with fat steers. When the heifer 



Fig. 26. — A grand champion fat heifer. Lula Mayflower, a Shorthorn-Angus 

 crossbred senior yearling heifer, grand champion over all fat steers and heifers at the 

 1921 International Show. Bred, fed, and exhibited by the University of California. 

 Weight 1,244 pounds. Sold for $1.10 per pound. This is the only heifer that has 

 won this honor at the 21 International Shows held to date. 



is well fed, she is consigned to a lower class than a steer of the same 

 breeding, same fatness, same quality, same age and form. In some 

 countries, heifers outsell steers for beef purposes. In this country there 

 is discrimination in price against heifers on the market, and for that 

 reason heifers are rarely as well fed as steers. 



Steers and heifers compared in tests. — In September, 1892, 

 Wilson and Curtiss of the Iowa Experiment Station ^ purchased five 



ilowa Bui. 24. 



