Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-10-25
THE SCALE OF POINTS.

ITS APPLICATION UNDERooEs A CHANGE.
We call the attention of Mr.. Busbey of
the Turf, Field and Farm, and his asso-
ciate, Mr.. Coleman, to the alarming in
roads that are being made on the princi-
pies laid down by them year ago as
governing the application of the Scale of
Points in awarding premiums. 1t will
be remembered that Mr.. Busbey, in his
agony of explanation as to how they
managed to place four equine non-entities
ahead of Ben Franklin as stock horses at
the New England Fair, made the follow
ing scientific observations concerning
Ben Franklin:
"He has record of 2:29 and two of
his get are just inside the 2 80 list. TAX
ing the 2 :Osa OF Maud S. for perfection,
and remembering that the 2 80 perform
ers are counted by the thousand, three
points seem about right for a record o.
2:29. And when we compare the num-
Der of Ben Franklin's performers and
their speed rate with those of George
Wilkes, the horse is not entitled just now
TO more than three points for character OF
c6spring."
1t was kindly pointed out to Mr..
Busbey at the time that, his scale being
$50 points for perfection, the application
of these erudite principles left horse
that could win races in 1929, and that
was honored at Is years with two repre-
sentatives in the 2 80 list, but the in
appreciable fraction Of one fortieth better
as stock horse than one that neither by
himself nor by his offspring could trot at
all, that George Wilkes at Ben Franklin's
age had no $50 performer; and that it
was more than possible that sensible
people would not agree with him as to
the correctness of the principles above
laid down. But Mr. Busbey, with some
heat, as if annoyed by suggestions made
purely for his benefit, adhered to his
original position.
In view Of all this we call upon Mr..
Busbey to empty a large vial of wrath
upon the heads of Mr.. Leslie L. Macleod
and his associates who judged with a
scale of points at the great fair recently
held at Wilmington, Delaware. We
assure him that they have, in direct de-
fiance of the principles laid down by him
for their and our guidance, so misappied
the scale that had the application been
made in like manner at Springfield, the
obscure Ben Franklin would have won
the first prize. while the famous Naaman
would have gone home in disgrace. This
is all the more inexcusable as Macleod,
being associate editor of Wallace
Monthly, could easily have run into the
office of the Turf, Field and Farm, before
attempting to apply the scale, and found
out how the thing worked. Instead OF
which he has had the effrontery to go on,
with scale in which perfection is 2OC
points, and in which therefore every
point has fifth more value than in Mr.
Busbey's, and make his awards and
write them out in an article in the cur
rent number of Wallace's Monthly en-.
tirely unadvised by the distinguished
committee of the New England Fair, sc
far as appears, and in defiance of theiI
well-considered canons on the subject
We quote for illustration two examples
from their report on Trotting Stations
Five Years Old and over, the class il
which the unfortunate Ben Franklin was
last year judged;
"FoREsT WILKES, lO39l, b. h. foalet
1882; by Bourbon Wilkes, 2345; dan
Ned dam of Clemmie G., 2:154, etc.,
by Edwin Forrest. Record :29i. Scor
ed on structure II, pedigree "a, an1
record z.
"INDIAMAN, 1912, b. h. foaled 1874; by
Belmont, "a; dam Indiana by Mambrint
Chief IL, etc. Sire of Wine Shade, 2 80