The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-10-25
CUTTING UP A STEER.
Points Upon the Choice Pieces OF
Reef.

Breeders Gazette.
The illustration represents The carcaes
OF Well-fatte6 grade steer as cut up by
the chicago butchers. giving retail price
per pound OF the different cuts. II is
based upon figures secured firm Swift &
Co ..~e Illustration IL primarily intend
ed 20 show how a beef animal Is cut I'D
and the fsaues OF the different meat cuts
II Is suggestive also in that il shows the
relative weights Of the various parts and
indicatss some OF the sons WY one
lot OF steers bring higher price than
another lot Of the same age and weight.
IN addition 10 the above. the diagram IL
of interest as indicating the difference In
value OF the various cuts and the I'm
rorance Of this factor in determining the
value Of fat steers
To y1e breeder the illustration is OF the
greatest significance. From the farmers
standpoint a fat steer Is a manufactured
artic1es and. like all other manufacturers
he aims 10 produce the article most In
demand. How shall he accomplish this?
What shall be the real aim OF the modern
breeder OF beef cattle? What particular
lines OF Improvement offer opportunities
for the greatest success?
an the first place let us consider this
diagram from the standpoint of the feeder.
There are at least tho methods OF making
the FEEDING OF best animals moro profit
able: first. by better methods OF feeding
thus reducing the cost OF production. and
second. by producing a more valuable ar
'icle. or In other words feeding better
steers. The first method has been care
fully investigated. and while We are yet
much in the dark 10 some problems
OF feeding. still with our cheap food stuffs
Il would seem that We have about reach
ed the limit OF economical production.
We must then select better feeders. What
advantage has a good grade Shorthoru
or Hereford steer over a native scrub?
Surely not a great advantage In the gain
made from the same quantity OF food.
for careful experiments seem 10 show that
the native will make about as much gain
on a given quantity of feed as the grade.
Wherein, then. shall we look for the SUI
perior excellence OF the grade over the
native? Not now considering the factor
OF early maturity, TIE main difference
lies in the increased value OF the finished
grade over the native. The well-sat-
tened grade Invariably brings greater
price Per pound. He brings a greater
price per pound because he has "a greater
proportion of the valuable butchers cuts.
as shown In the diagram.
This diagram represents a good 20-
pound steer. dressing about 500 pounds.
and furnishing about 7oS pounds Of mar
. ketahle meat. OF this T0s pounds. So
pounds. including The neck. chuck. ribs,
plate. flank, shin ard shank. are sold for
slt.4S. The remaining SIS pounds. In
GLIDING the choice meat cuts-the prime
OF rib, portc-house. Ioin. rurnp and round
bring IN the open market sH.45. In
other words, less than half the total
weight II marketable meat brings nearly
three times as much money. But this
difference between she valuable meat cuts
ara The inferior ones Is less marked in
this tllus;ra son OF "a good grade steer
than would be the case we're We TO COM
pare che came parts OF q native TIE
carcass Of native would Show a greatly
increased weight of the less valuable
meat paris. ard a corresponding decrease
in the valuable paris. The teaching is
plain. A slight difference ia the devel-
opFnent Of tire losn. for example might
cause a considerable decrease IN ire
| weight OF .le valuable porterhouse cur.
and consequently in the value OF the ami
nal
We must then pay more attention to the
selection of steers for feeding. Other
thtn~S being equal. 8 low-town. blocky
steer showing tendency towar3 the de-
velopn1ent % a broad ioin. a long level
ruTnp. a straight back. q flank los down
and a thick. broad thigh exter3ing well
down 10 hook win generally feed better