THE TYPES OF SHEEP 245 



straight, strong, broad and especially thickly covered 

 with flesh; the ribs well arched and deep, especially the 

 forerib, the crops so well filled as to be even with the 

 sides of the shoulders ; the chest deep, full, broad on the 

 floor, and square at the brisket; the loin broad, and 

 thickly fleshed, this region being most frequently bare ; 

 the hips broad, level, smooth and not too prominent ; the 

 rump long, level, broad and smooth, especially at the 

 dock, where there may be an accumulation of blubbery 

 tallow; the leg of mutton broad, deep and thick, the 

 twist full and well let down in the seam; the legs short, 

 straight, pasterns and hocks strong, the sheep standing 

 well up on its toes, and having straight hind legs. 



255. Quality in the sheep not only determines the 

 quality of the meat, as in the case of cattle and hogs, but 

 of the fleece as well. It is also an important factor in 

 dressing percentage, as it controls the waste to a consider- 

 able extent. Quality is indicated by a refined head and 

 ears, smooth shoulders and hips, clean-boned joints and 

 cannons, fine hair on the face, ears and legs, fine fleece and 

 a trim under line. 



256. Condition. — Fat contributes to the primeness of 

 a cut of mutton or lamb about as much as it does to beef, 

 although the mutton carcass, while somewhat fatter, 

 does not naturally marble quite so nicely as the beef 

 carcass does, and tallow is less nutritious, digestible and 

 palatable than suet. The most acceptable butcher condi- 

 tion is indicated by a uniform covering of firm, but not 

 hard, flesh, showing especially at the dock, the neck and 

 along the back, with no bareness of loin or rib, nor any 

 accumulation of soft fat in the foreflank, which has 

 " slipped " from the ribs above, nor at the tail head, on 

 the back rib, or the margin of the loin, where rolls appear. 



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