8 BULLETIN 1246, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
when chilled remains firm and resilient. There must also be liberal 
deposits of fat between the muscle fibers, giving the cut surface a 
streaked or marbled appearance. This fat, together with the juice 
or extractives, gives the meat juiciness and flavor. The cut surface 
of beef of this sort has fine grain, and is smooth and velvety to 
sight and touch. The color is a light or cherry red, because the 
blood supply has been kept at a minimum by lack of exercise and 
because of intensive feeding on grain or other ration producing 
similar effect, and because the animal was not old. The cut surface 
also presents a sheen or reflection not apparent in beef of poorer 
quality. This is due to the fine grain of the meat, the consistency of 
the juice, and the oil of the fat giving a smooth surface which re- 
flects light much better than the relatively dry, or watery, coarse 
fiber of poorer quality beef. 
Poor quality involves the opposite of most of the above character- 
istics. Beef of poor quality is usually of a dark red color, because 
the muscle has been subjected to prolonged, vigorous exercise and 
has therefore had a relatively large blood supply. For the same 
reasons the muscles are made up of strong, tough fibers and the con- 
nective tissues are comparatively thick and tendinous. Either the 
amount of juice is small or it is thin and watery. There is no mar- 
bling. As a result the meat is stringy, tough, and inferior in flavor. 
The ratio of muscle to connective tissue is relatively low, as is also 
the ratio of flesh to bone. The grain is coarse, and the general ap- 
pearance is watery or fibrous. 
Quality depends on a number of secondary factors. Breeding and 
feed are among the most important, but sex and age have an im- 
portant bearing on the matter. 
Quality determines the palat ability of the meat and the ease with 
which it can be prepared for human consumption. Quality is, there- 
fore, by all means, the most important factor in determining grade. 
Determining quality is rather difficult, as quality pertains chiefly 
to the inner or concealed parts of the carcass, examination of which 
requires more than superficial inspection. 
To determine quality exactly and absolutely it is necessary to have 
a cut surface, or cross section, exposed to view. But there is such 
close relationship between conformation, finish, and quality that the 
beef grader can nearly always count on a high degree of quality 
where the degree of the other two factors is high. 
There are many other factors involved in grading beef and con- 
sequently many other terms used in describing and differentiating 
the various grades. It is believed, however, that these are all merely 
subdivisions of the three factors already named and described. 2 
For example, age frequently has much to do with indicating the 
grade of a carcass, but age in itself has no bearing on the matter, 
except as it affects conformation, quality, and finish. In the same 
manner fat is always considered in grading meat, but fat is one of 
the elements which go to make up quality and finish, and naturally 
contributes to conformation. The same is true of such secondary 
"So-called "Yorkshire" or "teeswater" beef is found infrequently on the market and 
i- regarded as a " freak ol nature." The carcasses are deficient In covering and nave very 
little f.it on tiie kidney and interior walls. They usually have excellenl conformation and 
quality. The Mesii generally is fine grained and tender and is brownish-pink in color. 
The flesh, when recognized, Bells readily ;it prices in line with those <>t' choice beef cuts, 
