Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1888-03-02
JUDGING AT SHOWS.
Views of IA Writer Who Does Not Believe In
Existing Mathnds.

Hert1ce W the CdTu, anu unless IL Is 10
be strictly observed, it would be better
to leave it alone except as mere
sailing chart. which capable
mariner would not frequently re-
quire to consult. The difficulty in
apportioning values by gem
eral standard of merit is manifest. If
an animal is decidedly deficient in an
important point. it should not be al
lowed place among the winners at
all. whereas it might happen, by a
mere enumeration of the counts as
signed upon the basis of an ideal stand
ard of perfection, that it would come
out at the top of the list.
Although am of opinion that breed
ers and critics should alike exercise a
little restraint in commenting upon
the decisions of the judges as given
| under the present system, and in sug-
costing either incapacity or unfairness
on their part, | am far, indeed. from
considering that improvement in the
method of adjudication is undesirable.
1t is Il marvel to me that the mode of
selecting and appointing judges has
not long ago been reformed. When
shows were established it was not re-
markable that defective plan was
adopted, but why we should have gone
on in these lines for hundred years
is incOmprehenswl e. Could any thing
be more ridiculous than what occurred
in several classes at Reading recentlyP
We are told that Short-horn breeder
and Il Hereford breeder decided upon
the merits of Short-horns and Herefords,
and Devon breeder and Sussex
breeder did the like service for Devons
and Sussex. | have nothing whatever
to say against the qualifications of the
gentlemen whose names appear in the
catalogue as regards their own variety
of stock--some of them | know are
very high-but have yet to learn what
special fitness they possess for deter
mining nice points in character and
form in the case of breeds they have
never themselves owned or reared.
What would manufactures, showing
goods ut the inventions exhibition,
think if an expert in iron work were
appointed to decide upon his ingen-
y-designed articles of upholstery,
or a rope and Irvine manufacturer on
delicate specimens of textile fabrics.
1t seems to me that there are only
twointelligible systems of Judging one
is for the society privately to select Il
jury of six or ten, or any number above
the orthodox three, and let them ar
range the order of merit This is the
happy family arrangement, a very
pretty specimen of rural felicity. The
other. and to my mind the practical
and businesslike method, is to appoint
single expert Judge. Most of the
breeds have now specialist societies to
look after their interests. Let them
recommend number of their most
distinguished members to the agricult-
ural societies as competent judges.
The societies will be compelled to APP
point one of the authorized judges, be-
cause if they do not their show can be
boycotted. The name of the Judge
should be published when the schedules
are sent ont. and breeders would then
be in position to know whether it is
worth while to exhibit under him. If
a judge proves himself incompetent or
displays Partially once. he is not likely
to have an opportunity of exercising
judicial functions again. The Judge
should be Il man of sufficient intelli-
gence to be able to draw up detailed
statement as to his work, and he should
be obliged TO deposit this written report
with the secretary, 50 that exhibitors
could have an opportunity of consult
ing it.
Against the adoption of some plan as
this, for which | need hardly say lay
no claim to originality. there are no
arguments except those of frivolity or
sentiment. The show system has re-
Gently been compared to "comic
grammar, and as at present conducted
it does not wholly escape from this re-
proach. The late secretary of the
national society could say no better of
the chief work of his institution than
that it was throwing down money to be
scrambled for. Now these are not
times when agriculturists can waste
money on ''comic business" or undig-
nified scrambling. The shows, | be-
lieve, are of very real value, and even
under their present faulty manage
ment they have done more for agricult-
ure than all the wasteful and abortive
field experiments that ever were at
tempted. But the time has come for a
change of method as regards judging,
and also in other points, as to which |
have not left myself room to write
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