MARKET CLASSES AND GEADES OF CATTLE 81 
They are moderately compact, the body being moderately wide and 
deep in proportion to its length, and the legs, which are set moderately 
wide apart, are moderately short in proportion to depth of body. 
The top line tends to be straight and level, but the underline usually 
sags to a noticeable extent. The lines of the sides converge consid- 
erably toward a point in front of the animal owing to somewhat less 
width through the shoulders than through the hips. The animal has 
a moderately good middle, the crops being moderately full and the 
chest moderately wide and deep. The back and loins are moderately 
straight and wide and the ribs are moderately long and well sprung. 
The belly is slightly paunchy and the rear flank is moderately low. 
The hips are moderately wide ; the rump is moderately wide and deep 
and the tail head is usually high when compared with the rest of the 
top line. The thigh is moderately wide and deep and the twist is 
moderately deep. The fleshing of the animal is moderately thin as 
well as moderately uneven, the fore quarters being noticeably thinner 
in flesh than the hind quarters. The lines of the animal appear 
slightly depressed and the bones of the shoulders and hips slightly 
prominent. The development and balance of the different parts in- 
dicate that the animal when finished and slaughtered will have a 
moderately high percentage of ribs, loins, and rounds in its carcass. 
The fat covering of the animal is slightly thin over the loins and 
rump and somewhat thinner over the shoulders, crops, and back. 
The fat covering is usually slightly rough, small patches and bunches 
of fat often occurring over the loins, rump, and around the tail head. 
The fat covering is, as a rule, slightly uneven in its distribution, 
being noticeably thinner over the fore quarters than over the hind 
quarters. There are noticeably small deposits of fat in the brisket, 
flanks, and twist, but these are not sufficient to cause any apparent 
fullness of these parts. 
The animal is usually slightly too refined or coarse but evidences 
reasonably good beef-type breeding and care. The bones of the legs 
are slightly too small or large. The hide is slightly unpliant and 
is slightly too thick or thin and tight. The hair is moderately fine 
and, as a rule, the flesh of the animal is slightly soft. 
Cows of this grade are usually high-grade beef-type individuals, 
but occasionally some of them show dairy-type breeding which is 
mostly indicated by their color markings. Load lots of this grade 
usually contain individuals of different breeds of beef-type cattle. In 
age they range from around 2 years old up, but very few are under 3 
years old. They are in limited supply throughout the year, but are 
offered mostly during the late summer and fall months and are 
usually very scarce throughout the rest of the year. 
Medium or No. 3. — Medium or No. 3 grade feeder and stocker 
cows are noticeably deficient in conformation, finish, and quality. 
The head is slightly long and narrow and the neck is also slightly 
long. They are slightly rangy and angular, the body being slightly 
narrow and very shallow in proportion to its length, with the legs, 
which are set slightly close together, slightly long in proportion to 
depth of ^body. The top line is slightly irregular and the underline 
usually has a considerable sag in the middle. The lines of the sides 
have a marked degree or irregularity and obliqueness, converging 
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