82 BULLETIN" 1464, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
toward a point in front of the animal on account of much less width 
through the shoulders than through the hips. The animal has a 
slightly poor middle, the crops being slightly empty or sunken and 
the chest slightly narrow and shallow. The back and loins are 
slightly narrow and usually slightly low and the ribs are slightly 
short and flat. The belly is paunchy and the rear flank is slightly 
high. The hips are slightly narrow and the rump is slightly narrow 
and peaked, with the tail head slightly high or drooped when com- 
pared with the back line. The thigh is slightly narrow and tapering 
and the twist is slightly shallow. The flesh of the animal is thin, 
the fore quarters being somewhat thinner in flesh than the hind 
quarters. The lines of the animal are much depressed or sunken 
and the bones of the shoulders and hips are prominent. The devel- 
opment and balance of the different parts indicate that the animal 
when finished and slaughtered will have a moderately low percentage 
of ribs, loins, and rounds in its carcass. 
The fat covering is thin over the loins and rump and somewhat 
thinner over the shoulders, crops, and back. Only small deposits of 
fat are found in the brisket, flanks, and twist, and the hide at these 
points is somewhat wrinkled. As a general thing the fat covering is 
not of sufficient thickness to cause any apparent roughness or lack 
of uniformity in its distribution. 
As a rule, individuals of this grade are slightly too refined or too 
coarse. The bones of the legs are usually slightly too small or too 
large. The hide is slightly too thick or too thin and is tight and un- 
pliant. The hair is noticeably coarse and as a rule the flesh of the 
animal is soft. 
Cows of this grade usually have the color markings of one of the 
purebred breeds of beef-type cattle, but their general conformation 
usually indicates that they are low grades or are of more or less dairy 
type or nondescript breeding. They range from around 2 years and 
up, with very few under 3 years old. They are generally on sale in 
limited numbers throughout the year at the larger livestock mar- 
kets — abundant during the summer and fall months and scarce dur- 
ing the late spring months. 
Common or No. 4- — Common or No. 4 grade feeder and stocker 
cows are deficient to a marked degree in conformation, finish, and 
quality. The head is long and narrow and the neck is also long. 
They are rangy and angular to a marked degree, the body being 
much too narrow and often much too shallow in proportion to its 
length. The legs, which are set close together, are long in propor- 
tion to depth of body. The top line is irregular and uneven and 
the underline is irregular and sags in the middle to a great extent. 
The lines of the sides converge 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 
narrow and sunken to a marked degree, and the chest much too nar- 
row and shallow. The back and loins are narrow and usually low, 
and the ribs are much too short and flat. The belly is very paunchy 
and the rear flank is very high. The hips as well as the rump are 
much too narrow and the rump is peaked, with the tail head, when 
compared with the rest of the top line, much too high or drooped. 
The thigh is narrow and much too tapering and the twist is shallow 
