MARKET (LASSES AND GRADES OF CATTLE 37 
The top and under lines are straight and level and nearly parallel. 
Not infrequently the lines of the sides show a very slight tendency 
to converge at a point in front of the animal because of slightly less 
width of body through the shoulders than through the hips. They 
are thickly fleshed but slightly uneven in fleshing, the fore quarters 
being slightly less thickly fleshed than the hind quarters; but the 
lines of each part appear full, plump, and well-rounded out and are 
developed and balanced in a way which indicates that the animal will 
have a high proportion of loins, ribs, and rounds in its carcass. 
The animal has a thick covering of fat over the shoulders. The 
fat is usually slightly thicker over the loins and rump than over 
the shoulders, crops, and back and is moderately thick over the mid- 
dle of the sides and the lower part of the shoulders and rounds but 
extends well down toward the knee and hock joints. There are 
Fig. 12. — Choice grade slaughter heifer 
large deposits of fat in the brisket, flanks, twist, and around the 
udder, giving these parts a well rounded-out appearance and they are 
distended to a considerable extent. The fat covering is smooth but 
often has small ties, rolls, or bunches of fat over the loins or ribs 
and somewhat excessive patches of fat around the tail head. Some 
individuals have slightly too great a thickness of fat. The finish is 
always firm to a marked degree. The quantity, degree of firmness, 
and evenness of distribution of internal fat, usually correspond with 
the quantity and the degree of these characteristics found in the 
external fat covering. 
The general appearance is one of a moderate degree of refinement. 
The bones are of medium size and the hide is moderately thick and 
pliable. The animal's breeding and degree of external fatness indi- 
cate that it has a large quantity of intermuscular and intramuscular 
fat. The joints of the legs are very smooth and small, The hide is 
