JUDGING AT SHOWS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5498, 14 December 1907, Page 3

JUDGING AT SHOWS.

Local agricultural shows will soon be attracting public attention generally, and the consideration of farmers particularly. The present time is, therefore, opportune for a word in season concerning the system of judging in vogue at most of these exhibitions of the produce of industry. The proverbial reference to the chapter on snakes in Iceland is here appropriate. That fatuous piece of literature consisted simply of the statement " There are no snakes in Iceland." Common report avers that there is no system of judging at agricultural shows. Every judge makes his own system, or dips haphazard into the lucky-bag of his brain and delivers his liafc accordingly. Hence arises a good deal of heartburning and discouragement, and that worst kind of jealousy which is fostered by a gnawing sense of injustice. For example, a man "may exhibit successfully fii&t-elass stock at one show, which at another, a few days afterwards, may be totally ignored by the judges. There seems to be no approximation to a certainity of merit being rewarded This is a very unsatisfactory state of things, and greatly discounts the value of igrieulturah&hows as a stimulus to the breeding of superior beasts. For this country, that depends so largely on animal products for its prosperity, the quality of its stock is of the highest importance, and no pains should be spared to make as near an approach to perfection in that respect as is humanely possible. Yet, without some systematic methods of appraising merit in an animal to which all authorised judges can subscribe, the machinery for securing a high standard in the herds of the Dominion is still very deficient. We have heard of judges Avho 'could give no reasons all for their classification of certain animals brought before them. Such a happy-go-lucky mode of awarding prizes can be of no use at all as an encouragement to the breeding of good stock. AVhat is wanted is a conference of all the recognised masters of the art of judging stock with a view of drawing up rules which would secure uniformity of appraisement at shows. An association of judges might then be formed to grant diplomas to persons ambitious of distiuguishing themselves in the art. We should be glad to receive the opinions of local stock-breeders on the question