64 JUDGING CATTLE 



and loin is the most valuable part in the butcher's point of 

 view. After handling the back carefully, the covering of 

 the ribs should also be observed very closely. It is con- 

 sidered a good method for determining the quality of the 

 flesh to gently push the ends of the fingers between the 

 ribs. If there is no natural flesh or muscle there, the ends 

 of the fingers are easily inserted in this region but if the 

 flesh is of the best quality and it is mostly muscle the ends 

 of the fingers cannot be inserted very far between the ribs. 

 To estimate the character of the skin and the mellowness 

 of the flesh, the skin is generally lifted between the first 

 finger and the thumb and its quality carefully noted. Then 

 with the fingers flat gentle pressure against the rib reveals 

 the mellowness or firmness of the flesh. The thickness of 

 the loin is an exceedingly important point and one of the 

 ways of determining this is to push the back of the hand in 

 at the lower level of the loin and then note the distance 

 from the top of the loin to the back of the hand. Leaving 

 this point the fullness and characteristics of the hind 

 quarter are observed, then the fullness of the flank and the 

 cod, which make the criticism of the one side of the animal 

 complete. Standing squarely behind it, the development 

 of the hind quarter is noted after which it is only necessary 

 to pass down the other side very similar to that which has 

 been followed on the right side. 



The steer may be considered from two points of view. 

 The first has to do with the qualities of the store steer or 

 feeder to be fattened, while the other refers to the merits 

 of the prime steer that is ready for the butcher. 



111. Store Steers. It is a common practice in some 

 communities for the stockmen to buy young steers with 

 the object of feeding them for market. The steers are 

 generally procured in the early fall, fed through most of 

 the winter months' and put on the market in the spring 

 or early summer. The most forcible factors in determin- 

 ing the profits from this work is the skill of the purchaser 

 in selecting animals that will make good feeders and 



