MARKET CLASSES AND GRADES OF CATTLE 
43 
over the shoulders, crops, back, loins, hips, and rump and these parts 
are all extremely prominent. The flesh is extremely thin with the 
lines of the different parts extremely depressed, sunken, or hollowed- 
out in appearance. The development and balance of the different 
parts indicate that the animal has the lowest possible proportion of 
total meat to bone. 
The fat covering is extremely thin and usually even the rib, loin, 
and rump are, to all outward appearance, entirety lacking in cover- 
ing of fat. There are no apparent deposits of fat either in the brisket 
or rear flanks, and the hide surrounding these parts usually hangs in 
folds and as a rule is extremely wrinkled. The animal has practi- 
cally no internal fat as indicated by the extreme lack of external fat. 
Fig. 10. — Cutter grade slaughter heifer 
Heifers of this grade are most unattractive in appearance, and as 
a rule are either extremely refined or coarse. The bones of the legs 
are generally either extremely small or large and the hide extremely 
unpliant. The flesh is either very soft or hard and the animal has 
negligible quantities of internal fat. The joints of the legs sometimes 
appear extremely rough. The hide is, as a rule, extremely tight and 
the hair is practically always extremely dry, harsh, and lacking in 
oil. 
Canner grade heifers may be of beef -type breeding, but they are 
almost invariably dairy type or so badly mixed in breeding that no 
type appears dominant. In age they range from about 6 months up 
with the largest percentage of the supply falling within the age 
limits of 1 to 2 years. They usually weigh less than 600 pounds. 
They are always in very limited supply at all central markets but 
