Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-12-04
Fat Stuck Show

The State Board of Agriculture of Illinois
holds an annual show of fat stock each win
ter. One of these shows has just been con-
cluded at Chicago. The entries were not as
numerous as heretofore, and we judge the
Interest is hardly as well maintained as was
expected. In the cattle department we no.
tice the Shorthorns, the Herefords and
Devons, and grades of these three breeds,
were the only contestants for the prizes
offered The contests were principally be-
tween the Shorthorns and Herefords, anu
the premiums were about equally divided
between these breeds. The Herefords are
apparently gaining on the Shorthorns in the
contest for the first place among beef
making cattle, both in Europe and
America, if we may judge of the success
shey are achieving in these fat stock COL.
tests. The Devons are smaller breed, but
an mountainous and uneven countries viii
give q better return for the investment than
either of the larger breeds, but for rich
level country these large breeds hold the first
place the world over. The question as to
which of these breeds of cattle will make the
most and best beef at the least cost is one Of
great Importance to the people of the United
States, and, we may add, to the world The
Shorthorns have been the most popular breed
and for general purposes will probably re-
main so for long time to come, for the rea-
son that among the Shorthorns there are strains
or families that are fair mixers, while it is
hardly claimed by anybody that the Here
fords have any merit or claim for this good
quality. On the other hand. it is claimed
that the Herefords are better feeders and
mora hardy animals, and will therefore make
more profitable animals as beef-makers on the
natural feed of the Western prairies of this
country, and better animals to cross with the
native breeds of Texas and the Southwestern
States and Territories generally. The contest
going on between these breeds in Europe and
the United States is one, however,
of feeding rather than pasturing or grazing.
The question TO be decided by this contest is
as to which breed can be made to produce
the most and best meat at given age by
care and skill in handling and feeding. a
calf is fed from his birth till he is two or
three years old with reference not merely to
producing the greatest live weight, but with
more especial reference to producing carcass
that-will yield the most money, cut up and
sold, from the butchers block. This ques-
tion goes to the inquiry as to which produces
the greater weight of high.priced meat-as
for instance, loin and porter house steaks,
good roasts, etc.-and the decision of these
inquiries depends not upon the gross weight
so much as upon the distribution of fat
and lean meat upon and through the
animals Some animals when fed till very
fat accumulate that fat in punches, while
Others distribute it well through all the parts,
making what experts call marbled meat. At
the late fat stock show at Chicago live ami
mails were shown, and the judges were lie.
quired to decide upon their Judgment from
the appearance of the animals, those OF the
same age being shown against each other
Animals were also slaughtered and the
carcasses submitted to the test of dressing to
determine the proportion of loss by waste of
offal. aud the meat was examined to deter
mine its proportion of high-priced meat
and its texture and good qualities
generally. OF the three taree-year-old steers
so slaughtered and tested two were
Herefords and one a grade Shorthorn, and
the decision was in favor OF one of the Here
fords The committee decided in favor of
this carcass as having the best quarters, pre-
sentiug the smoothest carcass, with the fat
more evenly distributed throughout, the fat
and lean being more evenly distributed and
finely marbled. The premium carcass gave
the greatest proportion of profitable meat to
the weight of the whole, on account, as the
committee said, Of the thickness and length
of the lein, with less loss from trimming off
fat He had broader, longer and better.
filled back, the hind quarters being heavier
as compared to the forequarters, and yielded
8 greater proportion of loin and porter house
steak OF the two-year-old steers killed, there
were two-oue grade Shorthorn and one
grade Hereford-snd the Shorthorn WOE the
prize as coming the nearest to butchers
model. The yearling slaughtered was cross
between the Shorthorn and Hereford breeds,
and the committee decided that it had the
best proporsioned carcass throughout of any
they examined. The Prairie Farmer offered
. premium of $50 Tor the best two.year.old
and under three steer, and there were twenty
entries for this premium. The successful
zasimal was a Hereford. These fat cattls-
shows are among the most Interesting ans
obstructive exhibitions of the country, ana