MARKET CLASSES AND GRADES OF CATTLE 59 
quarter development, does not differ materially from the one given 
for medium grade steers. As a rule, however, they have slightly 
thicker necks and heavier shoulders and rounds than steers of the 
same grade. The heavier fore-quarter development causes the pro- 
portion of loins, ribs, and rounds to be somewhat lower than in 
steers of the same grade. 
The fat covering is thin over crops, back, and loins and there is 
practically no fat covering over other parts of the body. There are 
usually small deposits of fat, however, in the brisket and flanks but 
these parts usually appear somewhat empty, with the hide about 
them noticeably wrinkled. The small quantity of fat found on the 
body is as a rule slightly soft. There is practically no difference in 
the degree of finish possessed by medium grade stags and the cor- 
responding grade of steers. 
Stags of this grade are as a rule slightly heavier boned and the 
hide is slightly thicker than medium grade steers with the joints 
of the legs somewhat rougher and coarser. Otherwise they do not 
differ materially in quality. 
Stags of this grade are largely individuals of beef-type breeding 
but are infrequently of pronounced dairy type. In age they range 
from about 2 years up and usually weigh less than 1,200 pounds. 
The number of them offered at any market at any time is extremely 
small. 
Common or No. 4- — Common or No. 4 grade slaughter stags are 
inferior in conformation, finish, and quality. They are rangy or 
angular to a marked degree, the body being narrow and shallow in 
proportion to its length. The description of common grade stags 
does not differ greatly from that of common grade steers. The main 
difference is in conformation, the neck, shoulders, and rounds being 
slightly thicker than in the same grade of steers and often similar 
to the same grade of bulls. The overdevelopment of neck, shoulders, 
and rounds causes their carcasses to have a somewhat lower propor- 
tion of loins, ribs, and rounds than common grade steers. They 
are noticeably heavier and coarser boned than common grade steers 
with coarser, rougher joints, and somewhat thicker hides. 
They are similar in breeding to common grade steers. They 
range from somewhat over 2 years to around 4 years in age and 
usually weigh from around 900 to around 1,100 pounds. They are 
extremely scarce at all markets. 
Cutter or No. 5, and low cutter or No. 6. — The description of these 
grades of slaughter stags does not differ much from that given for 
the corresponding grades of steers. The main difference lies in con- 
formation although they average somewhat lower in quality, with 
practically the same degrees of finish. Their necks, shoulders, and 
rounds are thicker than those of steers, causing them to have a cor- 
respondingly lower proportion of loins, ribs, and rounds. The bone 
and hide may be coarse and thick. 
Individuals of these grades are similar in breeding to the cor- 
responding grades of steers. They range from around 2 years old 
up and usually weigh from 750 to 1,000 pounds. 
These grades of stags are practically unknown on any of the large 
central livestock markets. 
