The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1899-07-21
sheep Good ana BAD.


In an address at the Iowa Agricul-.
tural College, Prof. Craig OF that COLI
lege, said: 1t is safe proposition to,
accept that every sheep has fault and
it is equally true that there are none
so ba6 but that they have their good
qualities. In estimating the good and
bad qualities of sheep it is then only
a question of being able to see things
as they really exist. 1t is particularly
hard to do this in the case of sheep,
because they can be trimmed and
dressed with great success in hiding
their defects. Owing to this deception
1t is practically impossible to form an
opinion from what one Sees 1t is
necessary to handle the sheep thor,
oughly, or, in other words, to see with
the fingers.
In handling the form of a sheep it is
best to keep the hand completely open
as in this way the straightness of the
lines can be best determined, and the
wool will be the least disturbed. To
be thorough in examination this sys.
tenn should be followed: Beginning
with the head, with the finger drop
the lower lip of the sheep and notice
the condition of the teeth; notice the
covering of the head, the eyes and
ears; see that there is no appearance
OF horns in those that should be horn,
less; then pass to the neck, feeling
with the hands the course of the neck.
and In that way determine the length
OF 1t, the thickness Of it, and the way
1t swells to meet the shoulder at the
shoulder vein. Then pass down to the
br1sket, putting one hand on the foop
OF the chest and the other at the top
OF the shoulder, and in this way form
an idea as to the depth Of the sheep
through these parts. Then pass to the
shoulder, observe how it is covered
with flesh and the evenness on top,
also taking the girth or the spring OF
the ribs of the sheep. From the TOP
OF the shoulder, using one hand, fol-
low the line Of the back to the end OF
the body. By carefully handling these
parts, the freshness of the sheep, or
the way the ribs are covered, and the
straightness Of the back, are deter
mined, and at the same time the
spring of the ribs is made apparent.
The width Of the loin should then be
taken, and the covering and the thick
ness Of it should be noticed. The
width at the hips should then be OBJ
served, and turning to one side anr
using the two hands, the length from
the hip to the hindquarter should be
made apparent between the two hands.
Afterward notice the way the hind
quarter is carried back, and the full
ness of those parts should also be ex-
amined Following down toward the
leg, the development of the thigh on
the outside requires examination, and
then, with the hand, the quarters or
the twist between the legs should be
firmly felt.
The different parts Of the lamb, from
the butchers standpoint, show wide
variation. The neck has the value OF
only one cent per pound, the shoulder
two cents and the shank the same.
The rib, running from the point of the
shoulder to the loin, has a value of
nine cents per pound, and the same is
true Of the loin, while the leg of mut=
ton has the highest value per pound
of any part, and is quoted at ten cents
per pound. The breast has the low,
value Of two cents per pound in the
Chicago markets. From these facts 1t
will be seen that the development Of
the back and of the leg are the most
important points.