MUTTON SHEEP 195 



without sacrificing the compactness essential in the meat 

 animal. Symmetry, or the correct proportioning of parts, 

 is necessary in the good sheep. An even covering of firm 

 flesh is important. Other things being equal, the thicker 

 the covering the sheep carries, the higher will be the killing 

 percentage, and the firmer the covering the better will be 

 the quaUty of the mutton. Softness of flesh indicates that 

 the animal's carcass does not possess the correct " marbling" 

 or distribution of fat and lean, and in this case one may sus- 

 pect that the carcass carries surplus fat. 



Quality. — The quahty of the animal is indicated by the 

 silkiness of the hair found on the nose, by the refinement and 

 clear definition of the tendons at the back of the foreleg, 

 and by the fineness and cleanness of the bone. Refinement 

 in these parts indicates that this same fineness exists in 

 the muscles and meat of the sheep. 



Disposition. — In temperament the animal should be 

 quiet. The nervous, restless animal lacks fattening tend- 

 encies and has a poorer appetite than the animal of the op- 

 posite disposition. 



Head and Neck. — The face of the sheep should be short 

 and the forehead wide. This is of so much importance 

 that the good judge can often select the best feeding sheep 

 by the appearance of the head alone. A strong, wide 

 muzzle indicates breathing capacity and constitution, while 

 thin Ups indicate quality. Full clear eyes indicate health 

 and vitahty. The neck should be short and thick, blending . 

 well with wide, compact, well-covered shoulders, making the 

 shoulder vein full and smooth. 



Chest. — The chest should be deep and wide, giving a 

 large girth, which indicates sufl&cient room for the vital 

 organs and for feeding capacity as well. The animal should 



