586 BULLETIN No. 129. [November, 



desirable quality and condition. Quality and condition are of di- 

 rect interest to the packer in that they influence the percentage of 

 marketable meat secured, but weight is a factor regulated almost 

 entirely by the consumer. It is claimed that in the combination 

 of tenderness, juciness and flavor, the flesh from the lighter lamb 

 is not superior to that of the heavier lamb. But in making selec- 

 tions from the lighter carcass the average consumer feels more 

 fully assured he is getting lamb and not mutton, and the size of 

 the cuts from the smaller carcass is more convenient for his use. 



What has been said in the above discussion about the form, 

 quality, and condition of the prime lamb is in the main true of 

 any sub-class of mutton sheep. Any animal that is markedly de- 

 ficient in either form, quality, or condition will not meet the de- 

 mands of the dealer in high-class mutton, and hence, cannot grade 

 as prime. See Plates i and 2. 



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. This 

 may be traceable to one or more of the following causes. A long 

 shipment from the range may cause deterioration in condition to 

 such an extent that lambs, considered strictly prime before ship- 

 ment, do not grade better than choice. Men who are keeping lambs 

 as a feeding proposition are often influenced to market them short 

 of prime finish because of unfavorable conditions, as shortage of 

 feed, the high prices ruling for feeds, or inadequate shelter in sea- 

 sons of unusual rainfall. Men who handle only a few sheep, and 

 men who have newly taken up the practice of feeding are often 

 unable to judge condition, and as a result, market their offerings 

 underfinished. And, finally, men may know that their lambs are 

 not in the most desirable condition yet they may feel that the prob- 

 ability of a decline in market prices for lambs is too great to war- 

 rant holding them until they are finished. See plates 3, 4 and 5. 



