CHAPTER X. 

 JUDGING BEEF AND DUAL PURPOSE CATTLE. 



EVOLUTION AND IMPORTANCE OF BEEF CATTLE 

 INDUSTRY. 



The evolution of the beef cattle industry has had as its 

 basis the application of better methods of breeding and 

 feeding, the extent of these developments having depended 

 largely on closer selection of animals for these two purposes. 

 Selection involves judging, which is the nucleus of all live 

 stock improvement. The improvement of the beef cattle 

 industry through this agency is therefore important, both 

 from the standpoint of present-day and future breeders. 

 Viewed from the standpoint of the large cattle markets which 

 are responsible for directing the large number of cattle 

 passing through them, the importance of the industry 

 becomes eminent. 



The cattle breeding industry is supported in a large meas- 

 ure by the small breeder, who is responsible for the kind and 

 quality of cattle placed on the markets. His knowledge of 

 animal form, therefore, should be exacting. It is within his 

 range of practical operations to increase form and quality to 

 the utmost. Whether this is done will be determined by the 

 knowledge which he acquires in properly applying these 

 agencies of improvement in the herd. Figures have been 

 cited where the increase of one pound on the total weight 

 of every finished meat-producing animal would mean an 

 increase of 172,437,403 pounds of edible meats. From this 

 statement it is readily imaginable how the most modern 

 methods of breeding, selection and feeding would bring a 

 greatly added profit, not only to the individual, but to the 

 beef cattle industry as a whole. Considered from the broad 



(221) 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



