EVOLUTION OP THE BEEF CATTLE INDUSTRY 267 



accumulation, which is the ultimate purpose for purchasing 

 such animals. The feeder is the prospect and the finished 

 animal the product of the stockman's goal. The desirability 

 of the form and finish of the fat animal is directly dependent 

 on the kind of animal selected in the beginning. 



Stockers. — Stocker cattle should be the saine in type and 

 breeding as feeders or fat animals, although the grades may 

 vary likewise. Stockers are young animals, ordinarily 

 yearlings, which are wintered on roughage, grazed the 

 following summer and finished for market usually during 

 the fall and winter period, though sometimes finished in 

 summer. The stocker should possess all the attributes of 

 the feeder or fat animal except age and condition. Con- 

 siderable attention should be given to the outcome. The 

 desirability of the stocker is determined by the market grade 

 of the animal, which ranges from inferior to choice. Like 

 feeders and fat animals they may be either pure bred or 

 grades from some of the prominent beef breeds, most of them 

 coming under the grade class. It is only in selecting animals 

 for some special purpose, like feeding, and later fitting for 

 some of the large stock shows, that pure breeds are likely 

 to be used. Even then many of the best-fitted animals are 

 of grade origin. In selecting a stocker constitution is usually 

 of somewhat greater importance than in the feeder or fat 

 animal. 



Calves. — Calves are subject to judging for future use on 

 the same basis as discussed under stocker, and feeder 

 cattle. They should possess quality, constitution, and 

 vigor, a full, square form, and show evidence of develop- 

 ment in a square frame, a strong bone, a deep, uniform 

 amount of natural flesh, and capacious feeding qualities. 

 Evidence of continuous thrift should be apparent. Young 

 animals with small bone, cramped heart girth and upstand- 

 ing, shallow bodies seldom develop into thrifty specimens. 

 In judging calves a great deal of stress should be placed on 

 the outcome or future usefulness. The small, fat, sleek- 

 bodied calf seldom develops into a large, thrifty, capacious 

 animal. One with a square, compact form, although some- 

 what inclined to be rough, will usually make good growth 



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