16 BULLETIN 1246, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
then it might be argued that there is no reason why all classes should 
not be divided into an equal number of grades. 
Under this latter system there would be no such thing as Good 
beef, but in each case it would be Good steer beef, Good cow beef, 
etc., each differing from all others in certain essential respects. Un- 
der such a system, No. A 1, or Prime grade, would represent not the 
highest grade of beef as a commodity, but merely the highest grade 
within each class. 
The idea of so standardizing the grade that Good grade beef, for 
example, would represent a definite, well-defined thing, regardless of 
the class from which it was derived, is one which appeals strongly 
to the imagination. From the standpoint of simplicity it would be 
an ideal arrangement. This is particularly true because when the 
beef reaches the consumer he is not at all concerned as to the par- 
ticular class of beef it represents, and even if he were so concerned 
he would have extreme difficulty in determining the class unless it 
belonged to a grade near one or the other extremes of the range. The 
fact remains, however, that the trade does discriminate very care- 
fully between the different classes. Hence there must be some defi- 
nite reason for such discrimination. 
Having in mind the three fundamental characteristics on which 
grading is based, it is impossible to so arrange the grades in the 
various classes that they will be wholly comparable as between 
classes. For example, there is probably no grade or possible grade 
of cow beef that is identical with any grade of steer beef, nor is it 
conceivable that any grade of bull beef would be wholly comparable 
with any grade of cow beef. 
It frequently happens that two carcasses belonging to different 
classes are virtually identical with respect to one or two characteris- 
tics. For example, certain grades of cow beef frequently are fully 
equal in quality to similar grades of steer beef. When this is true, 
almost invariably there are variations in the other characteristics, 
such as conformation and finish, which are so pronounced as to fur- 
nish a decided distinction between the two and make it inadvisable 
and impossible, so far as trade practice goes, to put the two in the 
same group. 
Perhaps the reason for the incomparability of beef belonging to 
the different classes, and hence the impossibility of standardizing 
grade irrespective of class, may be illustrated by considering three 
grades of steer beef and a corresponding number of grades of cow 
beef. If in each case grade No. 1 is represented by 100, grade No. 2 
by 80 and grade No. 3 by 60, it will be obvious that in each class. 
grade No. 2 is 20 points under grade No. 1, and grade No. 3 is 20 
points under grade No. 2. It should be borne in mind that it i< all 
beef and that in both classes the grades are based on the three charac- 
teristics — conformation, finish, and quality. This being true, in each 
class the 20-point variation between grades represents a 20-poinl 
variation in each of the three characteristics, conformation, finish, 
and quality. Despite this fact, however, the two are not strictly 
comparable, grade for grade. 
The reason for this consists in the fact that although in each class 
LOO points, representing the top grade, was made up of conformal ion. 
finish, and quality, the relative degree of these characteristics varied 
