—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 19, 1976
58
USDA
(Continued from Page 56]
both; adjustments have been
made in the marbling
requirements for each of the
grades of beef from young
cattle; Conformation - the
shape of the carcass - is no
longer-one of the factors used
to determine quality grade;
Requirements for die Good
grade are now much more
restrictive making Good
grade beef more consistent
in eating quality.
Effects Of The
Revisions
Under the current stan
dards, all beef graded is
identified for both quality
and yield grade. This
requirement is expected to
have a significant long range
effect - a reduction in the
amount of excess fat that is
present on beef as now
produced. This is fat left on
the dinner plate or timmed
from cuts before they are
packaged for sale. Such a
reduction should lead to
substantial savings to
producers and consumers
since the cost of producing,
shipping, and trimming
excess fat on beef now runs
to over $2 billion annually.
Much of this cost can
eventually be avoided
through increased
production of thickly
muscled, meat-type cattle
which have the ability to
produce high quality lean
with little excess fat.
Genetic improvement of
beef cattle along these lines
will take time but should be
hastened when superior
meat-type cattle receive the
recognition and market
prices they merit. This
recognition will be
facilitated by the quality
yield grading requirement.
As a result of the changes
in the grade standards, there
is also slightly leaner beef in
the Prime and Choice grades
and more uniform eating
quality in Choice and Good
grade beef.
Slightly leaner beef in the
top grades is a result of
changes in the marbling
maturity relationships for
beef from young cattle under
about 30 months of age.
Marbling and maturity are
the two major factors used to
evaluate the quality or
palatability of beef.
Generally, marbling (flecks
of fat within the lean)
enhances beef eating quality
and increasing age has the
opposite effect. Therefore, in
the previous standards, in
each of the grades, an in
crease in marbling was
required with increases in
maturity. However, recent
research has shown that for
beef from young animals -
those under about 30 months
of age - advancing maturity
has no significant effect on
eating quality.
Therefore, to qualify for a
particular grade, the revised
standards permit all such
young beef to have the
same degree of marbling.
This reduced the marbling
requirements for Prime and
Choice grade beef - but only
to the level that had been
required for the youngest
beef in these grades - beef
from cattle about 9 months of
age. Since most Choice and
Prime beef is produced from
cattle about 18 to 24 months
in age, consumers are now
getting slightly leaner beef
in these grades than they
were under the previous
standards.
Research conducted at a
number of State" universities
indicates that for beef from
young animals, there is no
measurable difference in
eating quality associated
with such reductions in
marbling. Hence, a U.S.
Choice sirloin steak graded
under the current standards
should be just as tender as a
U.S. Choice sirloin steak
graded under the previous
standards.
Elimination of
Conformation
The elimination of con
formation or carcass shape
as a factor in quality grading
increases the uniformity and
consistency in eating quality
within the Choice and Good
grades of beef. Variations in
conformation have no effect
on the eating quality of beef.
Under the earlier standards
it was necessary to arrive at
a “compromise grade” when
quality and conformation
differed. For example, a
carcass with Prime quality
meat, but only Good con
formation, had to be graded^
Choice even though it had
none of the characteristics of
a Choice grade carcass.
Dropping conformation as a
factor in grading has
eliminated this type of
compromise grading so that'
each grade now includes
only beef of that quality.
Marbling Minimum
Increased
Uniformity of quality in
the Good grade was also
increased by another
chapge. The minimum
marbling requirement for
Good grade beef was in
creased slightly, making the
range of quality within the
Good grade narrower than it
was previously. The result is
a very uniform quality grade
Spider mite is problem
The spider mite or red
spider often infests flowers,
shrubs, and trees during
July, says Louis M. Vasvary,
extension specialist in. en
tomology at Cook College,
Rutgers University.
Common victims of the
spider mite are azaleas,
boxwood, maples, elms,
roses, juniper, spruce and
other ornamental plants.
Spider mites are tiny,
oval, soft-bodied creatures.
Large numbers of them build
up under favorable con
ditions. In fact, a complete
life cycle can be passed in
about 10 days.
Mites injure' plants by
Sewing winners named
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Mrs.
Pauline Battaglia,
Schnectady, N.Y., and
Mildred Kirner, Berwyn,
Pa., were named winners in
the National Grange Sewing
Contest, the largest general
sewing event in the nation, it
was announced here
recently.
of beef which should appeal
to consumers who want beef
with less fat than they get in
the Choice grade and it
should usually sell at a lower
price.
Cooking Beef
Best results come from
selecting the proper cooking
method for the quality and
the cut of beef that you
purchase. There is no need to
change your cooking
practices because of the
rifcent changes in the beef
grade standards - the same
methods will still apply.
attacking the foliage and
sucking the plant juices.
Light infestations appear as
a stippled pattern on the
plant leaves.
As the infestation gets
heavier, the individual spots
run together causing the
leaves to turn yellow and
eventually drop off.
Diazinon sprays will give
fairly good control of small
infestations in home plan
tings.
To control mite
infestations use a miticide
such as dicofol (Kelthane)
or an all-purpose garden
spray, advises Dr. Vasvary.
Mrs. Battaglia won 3rd
place in 'Class C, and Miss
Kirner took honorable
mention in that category.
Entries judged on the
national level were first
place state winners from 38
states. Over 35,000 garments
were judged during the past
month at local and state
levels prior to the final
national judging. ’
S
THE POWER YOU NEED... WHEN YOU NEED IT!
The last thing you need during your busy season is a tractor
down for repairs. It really is costly when the unit is a new one *
that you were depending on
When you purchase a new Ci
protected by our Assured Ava
Plan. If for any reason your C
has a breakdown during the
warranty period, and it’s in 01
your peak production seasons
(tillage, planting, harvesting) ;
we can't repair it in 48 hours,
we’ll supply you with a free
loaner tractor until yours
is ready to go.
Simple as that. No lost time
or missed schedules that
can keep your yield down.
Stop in today for complete details.
PARTS • SERVICE • RECONDITIONED
CONVENIENT FINANCING
PAUL SHOVER'S INC.
35 EAST WILLOW ST.
CARLISLE, PA.
17171243-2686
A. L HERR
& BRO.
312 PARK AVE.
QUARRYVILLE, PA.
1717)786-3521
DEPENDABLE
MOTOR CO.
East Mairt Street,
Honey Brook, PA
1215)273-3131
A two-day-old gazelle-can outran a full-grown^
||®w
Your Complete
Tractor Headquarters
ZIMMERMAN'S
FARM SERVICE
BETHEL, PA.
1717)933-4114
STOUFFER
BROS. INC.
1066 Lincoln Way West -
Chambersburg, PA
(717(263-8424
EQUIPMENT
mi
BINKLEY «
HURST BROS
133 ROTHSVILLE
STATION RD.
LITITZ.PA.
(717(626-4705
NEVIN N. MYEf
& SONS, INC.
RDI Chester Springs, PA
(2151827-7414