46 BULLETIN 1360, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
WEIGHT SELECTIONS OF LAMBS 
The weight selections in the schedule are self-explanatory. They 
constitute an effort to follow trade preference and practice. Spring 
lambs are not segregated according to weight, chiefly because the 
possible weight range of such lambs is limited. Furthermore, in 
trade practice, they are bought and sold largely on the basis of 
grade without particular regard to weight. 
GRADES OF LAMBS 
Grade is an especially important price-determining factor in 
lambs. All lambs are comparatively young animals. Lamb pro- 
duction is widely scattered and covers practically the entire area of 
the United States. Hence they are bred and raised under a great 
variety of conditions. The results of this are apparent in the ani- 
mals when they arrive at public markets. Receipts of lambs at 
such markets represent a wide range in degrees of conformation, 
finish, and quality. To cover this a rather extended erade schedule 
is required. 
Shearer lambs represent the narrowest range of conformation, 
finish, and quality, and hence include the smallest number of evades. 
In this special subclass only three grades are included—medium, 
good, and choice. This is another response to trade practice. Lambs 
erading below medium usually do not carry a fleece which appeals 
to a shearer lamb buyer. Furthermore, to finish such lambs would 
require a longer feeding period than the buyer would ordinarily care 
to assume. Also, they | are not likely to possess sufficient quality to 
make economical ‘weight gains. On the other hand the shearer does 
not buy a prime lamb, because the animal has practically reached the 
peak of excellence and further feeding would not be profitable. 
SUMMARY 
Many streams of livestock from practically all parts of the coun- 
try flow into the great central markets. This livestock represents 
every range and extreme of kind, age, weight, conformation, finish, 
and “quality. 
A place and use must be found for everything offered, for all ani- 
mals are sent to market to be converted into cash. Hence a large 
number of buyers must be assembled and their wants must be as 
varied as the livestock offered. 
The function of the market, then, is to bring this great variety of 
animals and these varied wants together i in such a way ; that exchanges 
may be made and one may satisfy the other. To accomplish this 
satisfactorily and economically the animals are sorted into groups on 
the basis of certain outstanding characteristics. 
First they are sorted according to kind or species as cattle, hogs, 
and sheep. Each kind is then divided into classes, usually on the 
basis of sex condition as steers, cows, sows, ewes, and wethers. 
The classes then are divided into subclasses according to relative 
suitability for certain general uses as slaughter, feeding, and breed- 
ing. 
