48 BULLETIX 1470, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
quality. The flesh is firm, slightly coarse grained, and light to 
medium red in color. Bones are white and hard. 
Medium, or No. 3. — Medium or No. 3 grade mutton chucks lack 
fullness through the shoulders and bones are slightly prominent. 
The outer covering of fat is uneven and often appears only in spots 
or patches. Fat is white but less brittle than fat on good grade 
mutton. The flesh is moderately firm but coarse grained, and med- 
ium to dark red in color. Bones are white and hard. 
Plain or No. If. — Plain or No. 4 grade mutton chucks are thin in all 
parts and bones are prominent. Shoulders are thin and narrow. 
There is little or no fat covering. The flesh is soft and flabby, coarse 
grained, and watery. Its color is dark red. Bones are hard and 
white. 
Gull or No-- 5. — Cull or No. 5 grade mutton chucks are rarely offered 
for fresh-meat consumption. Chucks of this grade are exceedingly 
thin in all parts and the proportion of bone to meat is very high. 
Visible fats are almost totally lacking. The flesh is coarse, soft, flabby, 
and has dark red to light brown color. Bones are hard and white. 
GRADES OF MUTTON BREASTS AND SHANKS 
Prime or No. A 1. — Prime or No. A 1 grade mutton breasts are very 
thick and full. They have a liberal proportion of lean flesh, inter- 
spersed w T ith generous layers of fat of excellent quality. Exterior and 
interior fats are plentiful and outer fats are smooth and even, extend- 
ing well down on the shanks. The flesh is firm, moderately fine 
grained, and light red in color. Bones are white and hard. 
Choice or No. 1. — Choice or No. 1 grade mutton breasts are thick 
and full. They are interspersed with generous layers of fat of 
good quality. Exterior and interior fats are plentiful and outer 
fats are evenly distributed. The flesh is firm, fine grained, and has 
light red color. Bones are white and hard. 
Good or No. 2. — Good or No. 2 grade mutton breasts resemble 
choice grade mutton breasts in most respects. They are generally not 
so thickly fleshed and as a rule have a lower percentage of fat inter- 
spersed through the lean. They may, however be slightly excessive 
in this respect as compared to choice grade. Exterior fat is not 
so evenly distributed. The flesh is slightly coarse grained and has 
light to medium red color. Bones are white and hard. 
Medium or No. 3. — Medium or No. 3 grade mutton breasts are 
relatively thin. They lack the generous mixture of fat found in 
the better grades and have only limited quantities of exterior fat. 
The flesh is moderately firm and somewhat coarse grained. Its color 
varies from medium to dark red. Bones are hard and white. 
Plain or No. A. — Plain or No. 4 grade mutton breasts and shanks 
are the lowest grade offered generally for fresh-meat consumption. 
They are thin in all parts and usually show very little or no visible 
exterior or interior fat. The flesh is soft, watery, and flabby and has 
a very dark red color. Bones are white and hard. 
Gull or No. 5. — Cuts of this grade are rarely offered for sale as 
fresh meat. They are exceedingly thin and the proportion of bone to 
meat is high. Visible fats are generally totally lacking. Flesh is 
very soft, flabby, and watery. It has a dark red to light brown 
color. Bones are white and hard. 
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
