EVOLUTION OF THE BEEF CATTLE INDUSTRY 245 



and otherwise indicates a low dressing percentage. Often 

 an animal so characterized is paunchy, this condition being 

 doubly antagonistic to beef-productive capacity. 



The ribs should be long, arched, and thickly and smoothly 

 fleshed. They should be well sprung, coming squarely 

 from the back bone and extend low to give depth of body 

 and its accompanying capacity. Flat ribs are very objection- 

 able, usually being associated with animals of low vitality 

 and unthriftiness. 



The loi7i contains the highest-priced cuts of the beef 

 carcass. It should be broad, long, level, and thickly fleshed, 

 thus giving the largest proportionate amount of meat from 

 this region. 



The underline should be straight, trim, and parallel with 

 the top line. The flanks should be full, even, and extend low. 



Hindquarters. — The hindquarters include the hips, rump, 

 thighs, twist, and legs. The hips should be broad, smooth, 

 and level. The rump should be long, wide, the tail head 

 smooth and level, and the pin-bones wide apart. The animal 

 should be smooth and firm throughout this region. The 

 thighs should be broad, deep, and full, carrying well down 

 to the hocks. Long, narrow, incurving thighs in the beef 

 animal are seriously objectionable. Such an animal should 

 possess just the opposite condition, being fully developed 

 from every viewpoint. The twist should be deep and full. A 

 high twist is indicative of inferior fleshing qualities. A short 

 hindquarter with a drooping rump, and rough, prominent 

 development otherwise is extremely objectionable. 



The legs should be wide apart, straight, short, and the 

 shanks fine and smooth. The bone should possess quality, 

 as indicated by density and texture. The feet should be 

 of medium size, well shaped, and the animal should stand 

 well up on the toes. 



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