Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-10-01
Judges at Our Fairs.

The Rurai A1ev Yorker has the
following in reference to the selection
OF committees to award prizes at our
Agricultural exhibitions:
"WHo ARE JUDGEs?-In making
uppremium lists, agricultural societies
usually, at least frequently, append
the names of the judges who are to
make the awards in each class. These
committees are curiously organized
as to qualifications in many cases. If
an excellent judge of iron, another of
leather, and third of apple dump
lings-each being his sole speciality
were selected to Judge of the points
of a ring of Short-horns or draft
horses, it would represent in many
cases the incongruity of capacity or
gained in u large proportion of com
mittees to make awards upon the
merits of animals, machinery and
manufactures. Neither special good
Judgment in regard to one product,
nor general sound judgment as man,
qualities the parties to make awards
on produce or ware he knows nothing
about"
In many of our agricultural So
cieties, under State or county man
agement, there is sort of popular
and demagogical influence similar to
that observed in the conduct of polit-
ical affairs Men are found openly
eIectioneering tor positions on the
"board'' as ward politicians ''fgure"
for office in our cities; and it frequent
ly happens, indeed, that the votes Of
those in towns and cities, who have
no special interest in the matter, carry
the day against agricultural interest.
Men thus elected will have their
''friends to rev lrd," and to be one of
the judges on an important committee
is an honor that is frequently very
highly priced, as we have often OBJ
served.
The management of the New York
State Fair has always seemed to MS
mcxceptlonablc in the selection of
committees, as well as in the general
system Of making entries, the classi-
tication otstock, distribution of prizes,
etc. For example, III the horse de-
partment the object seems to be to
encourage the brec7itu of superior
animals, and not to regard the man
who shall be most skillful Ill making
Il purchase and training for speed in
an artificial pace, or for mere speed
IN any pace.
They have no tests of speed on Il
''mule track" rs so many associations
boasts; but they give to all stock,
and all the products Of the industry
of the people, Il fair and equal chance
for exhibition.
The committee are selected with
great care, and with special refer
ence to their familiarity with the stock
or products they are to pass upon, as
well as their general intelligence and
integrity.
Another good feature in this man
agement here is the practice of :av-
ing small committces-nev more
than three mcmberS-and if only two
of these appear, they are frequently
allowed to make awards in the most
important classes without filling the
vac incy.
This, we believe, is in accordance
with the practice at the princi pal
fairs, or seattle shows" as they are
called in Great Britain
Those of our readers who have had
experience in these duties will, we
are sure, agree with us that two or
three well qualified and honest men
will award the prizes much more sat
isfactory than Il large committee of
six or eight members, though com
posed Of equally competent men.
Some of our readers will recall the
experience we had with large com
mittees at the National Cattle Show
at Springfield, Ohio, in 1854. Ac-
cording to our recollection there were
no less than nine members on the
committee; and when they came to
the cows, they found it impossible,
after a long effort in the ring and
many hours in the hotel in the even
ING, to unite a majority Of all the
members upon any animal; and the
difficulty was finally compromised by
making the award by mere plurality
vote. And in accordance with this
rule, the tirst-prized COW had only
three votes out of the nine that were
cast lii this farce of counting noses
for u decision. The herd prize, we
believe, was not awarded at al, =
lire lStoch JOnr3"I,