The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-01-15

rcal need in agricultural regions to- day is more widespread knowledge of how to judge live stock properly. While the judging of the finest animals is likely TO remain an art in which relatively few per sons can attain the highest standing, nevertheless farmers as a whole should be thoroughly familiar with the general principles of judging stock. Knowledge of this sort is real assest
 The art of judging beef cattle is inc foundation of all beef cattle shows, anu also is largely the means of determining the value of cattle offered in pubic sa'es- It serves as a basis for every man who buys and raises cattle to seek improve ment along well recognized lines
 If a breeder is not good judge he cannot mate individuals so as to get the best possible offspring. Knowledge may be obtained through long experience, but a systematic course in Judging may ac- complish the same end at cost or 1eWer mistakes and much shorter time. If q famer is a competent judge of breeders. for example, he can go to the market ana save the buying charges or commissions on a deal which otherwise would have 70 be handled through commission men
 For the man who feeds cattle for com mercial purposes it is more important 10 study how to judge feeders than fat eat
 tie. Judging the former requires more skill than judging the latter.
 Without standards, stock judging can De made a success. The smallest cattle own- CT as veal as the man who owns large herd needs to te familiar with the ideal
 beef type. This animal, when fat, must have a low set fsody which is broad, deep, and smooth with level lines, having a thick. even covering of firm flesh. liar,
 hide. ard bone of good quality. together
 with general character and style, also
 serve as an indication of the inner parts
 which can not be seen
 Tn learning ,o judge beef cattle it is
 nacessarv to become familiar with 1he
 location and names of the different parts of 4hs animal The names are similar m all classes of live stock and carf be learned easily " referring to annotated illustrations or diagrams. The names or wbolesale cuts of the beef carcass cor = respond quite closely to those Of the i've animal the only difference being th@. the wholesale carcass contains parts. Eron, inc butcher's standpoint. cattle may be divided into three classes-1at cattle. feeders. and breeding cattle. rho first comprises animals ready TOT s"e butchers block; the second IS the uh- finished product" and the third co.isti- tutes the class from which the otners are rroducel. In fat cattle, one must judge according to what the cattle ;'te at the time Tn feeders, the animals wiilcl promise Of pu-ting on the oi9sese H"'' cheapest gains. and developing into t,fe best ieef form when fattened, are 'he ones desired Tn breeding cattle. the true beef form is et prime importance, 2'. there r,,ust also be assurance that tte beef cnaracter:stices will be transniitreo I to the offspring.
 l Fat cattle, go called. include steers | heifers calves, cows. and bulls. Eat steers and heifers constitute by far the laraes' percentage. Each must be considered ron the fufcher's standpoint. the finish afs iquality of flesh being of prime importance ], Cattle bred especially for beef purposses 1 have a tendency to produce marbled o' to despcsit layers fat throughout me 1 lean meat. while in cattle bred exolus-
 lively for dairy purposes the tendency n
 | to deposit iayers of fat throughout the arouni the interpal organs, where l becomes 2 relatively cheap suet and aee' not terd to improve the quality of tn' lean r;eat. In jucsing feeders. it must hs borne in mind that they are unfinished cattle and therefore do not have the wsss and flesh covering of fat cattle. In gene ral the same qualifications apply to feed CTS as to fat cattle, except that eertaH points of the score card must be en phasized and others rlinimized. The de sirable feeders is one that will dress n1 a high percentage of high priced meat when finished and slaughtered.
 l Breeding cattle, first of all. must has, the true Leef form. In that respect the'
 are intermediate between feeeders an'