UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
DEPARTMENT BULLETIN No. 1470 
Washington, D. C. 
March, 1927 
MARKET CLASSES AND GRADES OF DRESSED LAMB AND MUTTON 
By W. C. Davis, Assistant Chief Marketing Specialist, and J. A. Burgess, Mar- 
keting Specialist, Division of Livestock, Meats, and Wool, Bureau of Agricul- 
tural Economics 
CONTENTS 
Page 
Need for standardization 1 
Definition of lamb and mutton 2 
Lamb 6 
Mutton 9 
Style of dressing 12 
Basis for grading lamb and mutton- 12 
Definition of terms 13 
Conformation.. 14 
Finish 14 
Quality 15 
Grades of lamb carcasses 15 
Grades of mutton carcasses 20 
Yearling mutton carcasses 20 
Mature mutton carcasses 26 
Page 
Standard wholesale cuts of lamb and 
mutton 28 
Description of wholesale cuts and 
subdivisions 29 
Percentage yields of wholesale cuts 30 
Standard grades of wholesale lamb 
and mutton cuts 31 
Grades of wholesale lamb cuts 32 
Grades of wholesale mutton 
cuts 43 
NEED FOR STANDARDIZATION 
Difficulties attending sales of perishable products at long distances 
are minimized and usually disappear when definite specifications, 
which are thoroughly understood by all parties to a transaction, are 
used. Only in this way can true market values be determined with- 
out personal inspection by both buyer and seller. The adoption 
therefore of uniform standard class and grade descriptions or spe- 
cifications results in greater ease in buying and selling and reduces 
marketing costs. 
To be of value from a practical standpoint any scheme of classifying 
and grading should fit the needs of the interests which it is designed 
to serve. It, therefore, involves an intimate study of long-time trad- 
ing practices, whereby workable features may be strengthened and 
differences between markets eliminated and practices unified. In 
this way any commodity may be classified according to a certain 
standard. It also involves the adoption of a set of terms, the mean- 
ing of which is definitely fixed and generally understood. Descrip- 
tions of grades must be specific, concise, and easily understood. 
Unless these requirements are met, no set of grade descriptions can 
materially increase efficiency in the marketing of any commodity. 
21145"— 27 1 1 
