70 JUDGING CATTLE 



form. Just back of the shoulder there should be no slack- 

 ness in the girth. The ribs should be well covered with 

 springy, mellow, yet firm flesh. The loins should' be broad 

 and thick ; the reason for this is that there are more valu- 

 able cuts in the broad, thick loin than in the thin, narrow 

 one, and this region in addition has a high value in the 

 view of the butcher. The hips should be smoothly covered 

 and their breadth should be carried back uniformly. The 

 hind quarters should be long, as this adds greatly to the 

 value of the carcass. The flesh should extend far down 

 the legs with the twist deep and plump. Viewed from the 

 side the top line of the animal and the long line should be 

 parallel or nearly so. 



124. Value of Cuts. The value of the different parts 

 may be said to be a point of first consideration with the 

 butcher. Dividing the steer into parts according to the 

 way the butcher cuts them, we find that the head is only 

 worth about ten or fifteen cents altogether, while the neck 

 only has a value of from three to seven cents. Then the 

 cut called the chuck, which runs from the top of the 

 shoulder to the beginning of the forearm and above the 

 brisket, is worth from five to ten cents per pound. The 

 brisket as a whole only has a value of from four to eight 

 cents while the fore leg from the point where it joins the 

 body to the chuck, known as the clod, is worth about six 

 cents. The crops, or as the butcher terms it, the ribs, 

 which consist of that part just back of the shoulder, is 

 worth seven cents in the poor steer against sixteen cents 

 per pound in the best. The region just below the crops 

 known as the fore flank or plates, has a value usually 

 from four to eight cents per pound. Following this comes 

 the loin and this varies from ten to twenty cents. The 

 upper part of the hind quarter has a value of about ten 

 cents pe*r pound, while the lower part, ranges from ten 

 to twelve cents per pound in the best steers. The neck, 

 brisket and plates are the cheapest portions. In regard 

 to ribs, the two end ribs go with the hind quarters, 



