22 BULLETIN 1464, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
In the chart the animal which is considered ideal or perfect for 
the market use of slaughter has been assigned a value of 100 per 
cent. Such an animal would have that degree of conformation, 
finish, and quality previously described as best conformation, best 
finish, and best quality. Its direct opposite, or the animal which is 
generally considered as the most undesirable, having the lowest pos- 
sible degree of merit for the market use of slaughter, has been 
assigned a value of 30 per cent. This value of 30 per cent corre- 
sponds with that degree of conformation, finish, and quality which 
was previously described as poorest conformation, poorest finish - 
and poorest quality. 
Thus the total difference between the animal which is considered 
best or the one having the highest possible degree of merit for the 
market use of slaughter and the animal which is the poorest or the 
one having the lowest possible degree of merit for the market use of 
slaughter, is represented by a range of 70 per cent. This range repre- 
sents the difference between the best animals of the prime grade and 
the poorest animals of the low cutter grade. In the slaughter 
cattle grading chart this range of 70 per cent, illustrating the 
difference between the best and poorest slaughter animals, has been 
divided into seven equal parts each having a range of 10 per cent. 
Each of these divisions corresponds to one of the seven recognized 
grades of slaughter cattle. 
For example, the range of 10 per cent extending from 100 down 
to 90 per cent represents the prime grade and the range of 10 per 
cent included between 90 and 80 per cent represents the choice grade. 
Each of the other grades is represented by a range of 10 per cent. 
This chart emphasizes the fact that each grade has a certain range 
or width with upper and lower limits. On the chart the range or 
width of each grade has been further divided into three equal parts, 
designated as percentage grade divisions, each of which is repre- 
sented by a certain definite percentage. 
For example, the range of 100 down to 90 per cent representing 
the prime grade has been divided into three equal parts which may 
be considered as top, medium, and low prime grade. The upper 
third of the grade has a range of 3.33 per cent, extending from 100 
down to 96.67 per cent and is represented on the chart by 98.33 per 
cent or the middle point between 100 and 96.67 per cent, or the half- 
way mark or average of the upper third of the grade or top prime. 
The middle third of the grade or medium prime has a range or width 
of approximately 3.33 per cent, extending from 96.67 down to 93.33 
per cent and is represented by 95 per cent or the halfway point or 
average of the middle third of the grade or medium prime. The 
lower third of the grade or low prime has a range or width of 3.33 
per cent which extends from 93.33 down to 90 per cent and is repre- 
sented on the chart by 91.67 per cent or the average or middle point 
of the lower third of the grade or low prime. Each of the other 
grades has also been divided into three parts — top, medium, and 
low — and a definite percentage representing each of these divisions 
is shown; that is, on the chart 88.33 per cent, 85 per cent, and 81.67 
per cent, in the order given, represent the top, medium, and low third 
of the choice grade or top choice, medium choice, and low choice, 
respectively. Likewise percentages representing each division of the 
other grades are also shown on the chart. 
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