THE BEEF CATTLE INDUSTRY 



371 



grades. Obviously the best way of be- 

 coming acquainted with the market 

 grades is to visit a large stock market 

 like Chicago and study the classifica- 

 tion, as adopted by the expert cattle 

 buyers. If the farmer is in a position 

 to supply high-grade cattle, he is prac- 

 tically certain to receive a remunerative 

 price for them; in fact there is a ten- 

 dency to bull the market somewhat with 

 fine cattle, so that often they bring more 

 than they are really worth. On the 

 other hand, common and medium grades 

 of cattle are not much in demand and 

 seldom bring their full value. 



Fig. 254 POINTS IN THE STEER 



Importance of knowing market re- 

 quirements — The small feeder who does 

 not study market classes and seldom 

 visits large stock markets, is at a great 

 disadvantage as compared with the regu- 

 lar shipper, for the reason that the 

 former is not well posted on the latest 

 market demands, and the style and qual- 

 ity of cattle for which there is the 

 most active call. Even the breeder of 

 pure bred stock needs to familiarize him- 

 self with the market classes, for other- 

 wise he may continue to breed and se- 

 lect his animals in such manner as to 

 perpetuate characters which are coming 

 into disfavor on the market. When a 

 breeder decides upon a particular breed, 

 and continues to breed these animals be- 

 cause they belong to a particular breed, 

 i he is overlooking the fact that a breed of 

 i animals is not valuable because it bears 

 .a certain name, but because it possesses 

 .certain qualities for which there is a 

 (regular. demand upon the market. The 



purchaser looks for quality in the pro- 

 duct, not for a particular breed name. 

 It may be, therefore, that in a lot of 

 cattle of different breeds offered for sale 

 upon the beef market, each market class 

 will contain animals of each breed. 



Designation of terms — Beef cattle in- 

 clude export, shipping and dressed beef 

 steers. Under this class are quoted all 

 grades of fat steers and heifers, which 

 have received enough food of the right 

 quality to indicate a successful attempt 

 to fatten them. The weight varies 

 greatly, since the class includes every- 

 thing from heavy shipping steers to 

 light grades of dressed beef. In the 

 class of beef cattle we have prime steers, 

 weighing from 1,200 to 1,600 pounds; 

 choice steers and good steers each weigh- 

 ing from 1,150 to 1,600; medium steers 

 weighing from 1,100 to 1,400; and com- 

 mon, rough steers, weighing from 900 

 to 1,200 pounds. 



The terms shipping, export and 

 dressed beef cattle are sometimes used 

 to mean distinct classes. This is not 

 really the case, however, since these 

 terms refer to the uses which are made 

 of the cattle, rather than to their 

 quality. As a rule, export cattle in- 

 clude good and choice grades of steers, 

 weighing from 1,200 to 1,500 pounds. 

 Shipping steers include medium and 

 good grades of cattle, weighing from 

 1,160 to 1,500 pounds, and bought f or the 

 eastern markets. The Boston buyers 

 prefer heavy steers. As stated by Mum- 

 ford, there is a constant limited demand 

 for prime steers, weighing 1,200 to 

 1,300 pounds, for the high-class trade in 

 New York. Dressed beef cattle is a 

 term used to denote steers purchased by 

 the Chicago packers. There is a wider 

 range in the weight and quality of these 

 cattle than among the cattle which are 

 used for export or shipping purposes. 

 In the various market classes already 

 mentioned, no weight is given exceed- 

 ing 1,600 pounds, and this is a satis- 

 factory maximum, for the reason that 

 but few cattle reach the market which 

 weigh more than 1,600 pounds. 



In the general class of beef cattle we 

 have also baby beef, distillers and Texas 

 cattle, these being sub-divisions of the 

 class. Baby beef contains only the 

 prime and choice grades, while the dis- 

 tillers and Texas cattle show all the 

 grades. Baby beef is a term applied to 

 choice or prime steers between the ages 

 of one and two years, and weighing from 



