AN EXHAUSTIVE ESSAY ON JUDGING BY POINTS.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7864, 15 May 1891, Page 2

AN EXHAUSTIVE ESSAY ON JUDGING BY POINTS.

Weekly Press.

We have before us Bulletin No. 2 issued by tha Department of Agriculture, New South Wales. The subjects treated of are " The points of stock and their relative values—The advantages of the point system of judging, and how it should be initiated"—by Mr Alex. Bruce, Chief Inspector of Stock, New South Wales. The work i 3 voluminous, illustrations of the different classes of stock, and the forms to be used are given, in order to more clearly indicate the method of determining the value of the points aud the working of the system. It is the most complete exponent of the one judge system we have yet seen. Mr Bruce divides his essay under the following heads :—l—The necessity for ascertaining and settling the relative values of tho points of stock. 2—The mode of settling the values of points. 3—ClaasiacaCion of live stock. 4—New points, judging offspring, &c. s—Description of tbe poiuts of stock and their relative values, &c. 6—Points of horses. 7—Points of the different breeds of cattle, dairy cattle, &c. 8-Points of sheep. 9—Points of pigs. 10—Advantages of the point system of judgiug; the three judge system, the two judge system, and the sinele judge system. 11—How judging by points should be carried ouc. 12—The course which should be taken to fix authoritative scales of points. Some of the principal defects of the two and three judge systems are forcibly pointed out, as well as the benefits which would accrue from the single judgo system. Wherever the one judge system has been fairly tried, it has given general satisfaction. The judges appointed under this system are always acknowledged ex- , perts, and were the judging done by points, there would be an element of education attending it, as the judges would have to fill in his awards in points; his decisions will in this way be open to the strictest scrutiny; he will naturally be careful to. allow neither his fancies nor his prejudices to lead him astray, The question of judging by points is not new to New Zealand. We believe that we are correct in stating that it has met with general approval wherever tried. It is easier, as our author remarks, to get one competent judge, than it is to get three, it is also much cheaper, lb would be well if every agricultural soelety throughout New Zealand were to obtain copies of che bulletin referred to, and make the question one of serious debate, with a view to inaugurating a more satisfactory state of things than at present prevails in too many of our judgiug rings. The price is only Is, each copy.