MARKET CLASSES AND GRADES OF CATTLE 
33 
the hide is badly wrinkled. The fat covering is not sufficient to 
cause the occurrence of any ties, rolls, or bunches of fat, but small 
patches of fat are sometimes in evidence around the tail head. The 
fat is in most instances soft, and the internal fat has a like degree 
of softness and is insignificant in quantity. 
Steers of this grade are for the most part either very coarse or 
very refined in their general appearance. The flesh of the animal is 
soft, and in most cases it has only small quantities of intermuscular 
fat. The joints of the legs are, in most cases, markedly rough. The 
hide is unpliant and much too thick or thin, and the hair is harsh, 
dry, and decidedly lacking in oil. 
Individuals of the common grade are as a general rule those in 
which the blood of one of the dairy breeds is predominant or they 
are of no particular type of breeding. Occasionally they are of beef- 
Fig. 9. — Cutter grade slaughter steer 
type breeding. They range from 6 months up in age, but most offer- 
ings are from 2 to 4 years old. They weigh from 800 to 1,100 pounds 
in most instances. Practically all markets have a supply of them on 
hand throughout the year, but as a rule they are scarce during the 
late winter and spring months and abundant from the early part of 
summer until late in the fall. 
Cutter or No. 5. — Cutter or No. 5 grade slaughter steers are very 
inferior in conformation, finish, and quality. The general build or 
shape is very rangy or angular. The body is very narrow in pro- 
portion to its length and the neck is very long and thin and the legs 
are very long and set very close together. Top and underlines are 
very irregular and oblique and are far from parallel, and the lines 
of the sides are similar^ in general directions. Cutter grade steers 
are very rough over the shoulders, crops, back, loins, hips, and rump. 
12799°— 27 3 
