EVOLUTION OF THE BEEF CATTLE INDUSTRY 225 



which govern the breeder's operations. The butcher, from 

 his viewpoint, would be pleased to secure only those animals 

 which possessed the largest relative proportion of the highest- 

 priced cuts, providing his trade merited such selection. This 

 would be dependent on conditions. The better the quality 

 of the product which can be purchased on an equal-price basis, 

 the better the butcher and his patrons will be satisfied. 



A beef animal must possess, however, other attributes 

 aside from meat-producing quahties. It must possess con- 

 stitution, capacity, early maturity, quality, and the requisites 

 for prime finish. These, of necessity, call for development 

 of animal form which in most cases is antagonistic to the 

 production of the maximum of the highest priced cuts. There 

 must be, therefore, a close and direct correlation between 

 the attributes of life-giving functions and meat-producing 

 qualities. The higher the attributes of beef-productive con- 

 formation can be perfected without detracting from these 

 life-giving functions, the nearer the perfect animal will be 

 approached from the standpoint of the packer, the butcher, 

 and the meat eater. 



Coordination of Bone and Muscle. — The muscular part of 

 an animal and associated fat-producing qualities represent 

 in the main the factors of importance in judging a beef 

 animal. In order to know what lies beneath the skin, the 

 examiner must have a thorough knowledge of the bony 

 development in its relation to muscle and fat formation. A 



EXPLANATION OF FIG. 91. 



Skeleton of cow, showing relation of bone and muscle: I.H., atlas; 7.H., 

 seventh cervical vertebra; I.R., first thoracic vertebra; 6.R., sixth rib; 12. R., 

 twelfth thoracic vertebra; 13.R., last rib; I.L., first lumbar vertebra; 6.L., 

 last lumbar vertebra; K, sacrum; I.S., first coccygeal vertebra; 6.K., sixth 

 costal cartilage; x, wing of atlas; 1, scapula; 1', cartilage of scapula; S, spine 

 of scapula; 3, acromion; 4, humerus; 4', external condyle of humerus; 5, 

 external tuberosity of humerus; 6, delioid tuberosity; 7, ulna; 8, olecranon; 

 9, radius; 10, carpus; 11, accessory carpal bone; IS, metacarpus; 13, pha- 

 langes; IJf, sternum; H', manubrium; H", xiphoid cartilage; 15, ilium; 

 16, external angle of ilium; 16', internal angle of ilium; 17, tuber ischii; 

 18, femur; 19, trochanter major; 30, patella; SI, tibia; SI', external condyle 

 of tibia; SS, tarsus; S3, distal end of fibula; Si, tuber calois; 25, metatarsus; 

 S6, phalanges. (After EUenberger-Baum, Anat. f. Kiinstler.) 



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