78 BULLETIN 1464, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
animal is thin, the fore quarters usually being slightly thinner in 
flesh than the hind quarters. The lines of the animal are slightly 
depressed or sunken. The development and balance of the different 
parts indicate that the animal when finished and slaughtered will 
have a slightly low percentage of ribs, loins, and rounds in its 
carcass. 
The fat covering is thin over the shoulders, crops, back, loins, and 
rump. Only small deposits of fat are found in the brisket, flanks, 
and twist, and the hide at these points is somewhat wrinkled. The 
fat covering is not of sufficient thickness to cause any apparent un- 
evenness or lack of uniformity in its distribution. 
Individuals of this grade are slightly too coarse or too refined. 
The bones of the legs are slightly too large or too small. The hide is 
slightly too thick or too thin and is unpliant. and the hair is slightly 
coarse. As a rule the flesh of the animal is soft. 
Heifers of this grade usually have the color markings of one of the 
beef-type breeds of cattle, but their general conformation indicates 
that they are usually either low grades or of more or less dairy type 
or nondescript breeding. Heifers of this grade range from around 1 
year up to iy 2 years of age as a rule, and there are relatively few 
feeder heifers in the grade. They are generally on sale in limited 
numbers throughout the year at the larger livestock markets, being 
seasonally abundant during the late summer and fall months and 
seasonally scarce during the late winter and spring months. 
Common or Xo. Jf.. — Common or Xo. 4 grade feeder and stocker 
heifers are deficient in their conformation, finish, and quality to a 
marked degree. The head is long and narrow, and the neck is also 
long. They are rangy and angular to a marked degree, the body 
being narrow and often shallow in proportion to its length. The 
legs, which are set much too close together, are long in proportion 
to the depth of body. Top and under lines are irregular and 
oblique to a marked degree, as are the lines of the sides. The latter 
usually converge rather sharply toward a point in front of the 
animal, owing to much less width through the shoulders than 
through the hips. The animal has a poor middle, the crops being 
empty and sunken to a marked degree and the chest narrow and 
shallow. The back and loins are narrow and often low, and the ribs 
are short and flat. The belly is very paunchy, and the rear flank is 
very high. The hips are narrow, and the rump is narrow and 
peaked, with the tail head much too high or drooped when compared 
with the back line. The thigh is narrow and tapering, and the twist 
is shallow, with the seam of the twist appearing high. The fleshing 
of the animal is very thin, the fore quarters being especially thin in 
flesh. The lines of the animal are depressed or sunken to a marked 
degree. The development and balance of the different parts indicate 
that the animal when finished and slaughtered will have a low per- 
centage of ribs, loins, and rounds in its carcass. 
The fat covering is very thin over the shoulders, crops, back, loins, 
and rump. There are very small deposits of fat in the brisket, 
flanks, and twist, and the hide at these points is usually very 
wrinkled. The fat covering on any of the parts is not of sufficient 
thickness to cause any apparent roughness or lack of uniformity in 
its distribution. 
