JUDGING BEEF CATTLE 69 



bone is fine, the skin and hair of good quality, there is much 

 less waste than if they were coarse. 



121. Handling Indicates Condition and Quality of Meat. 

 The handling quality of the prime steer has considerable 

 value in the butcher's view. On this he relies for indications 

 of the steer's condition, and also the quality of the meat. 

 If the covering of flesh is evenly distributed over the steer 

 and it is springy and mellow to the touch, it is considered 

 ready for the block. If in denting the side with the finger 

 the dent lingers some time the condition is due to soft, flabby 

 fat that brings but a small price at the butcher's stalls. 

 This is quite common in finishing steers to find them flabby 

 in places, most commonly over the loin and about the root 

 of the tail. This patchiness is due to the unevenness of the 

 fat distribution and it is a very undesirable feature. 



122. Condition. A sure sign of the condition of a steer 

 and its fitness for the block is fullness of the scrotum or cod. 

 When a steer is ready for the butcher the scrotum will be 

 soft and large. The condition of the flank is another sign 

 of ripeness. This should be thick, full, pendent, and the 

 lower lines of it should be nearly even with the bottom lines 

 of the body. Another indication considered very reliable is 

 the development of tongue fat or the fullness which appears 

 at the root of the tongue. 



123. Relation of Parts. In the finished steer from the 

 butcher's standpoint the head is of little value, it should be 

 in harmony with the rest of the body and not too large, as 

 that means waste. The neck should be short and thick. 

 The shoulder vein or the juncture of the neck and the 

 shoulder should be full, giving both these parts a character- 

 istic smoothness due to the base of the neck swelling nicely 

 over the shoulder blade. The latter should be well covered 

 and evenly packed on top. The brisket should not be too 

 heavy, as this is very cheap meat, but only advanced enough 

 to contribute to the desired squareness of form. Just back of 



