Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1890-01-16
TIE PHo.RATA SYSTEM OF AWARDING
PREMIUMS ON DAIRY PRopuc rs.
tFrom noara,s palryman

ANtNNt AA"AAh Jail man.
AT the last Minnesota State Fair, the
question arose in regard to the proper
way to award premiums on Dairy Pro-
ducts. In the discussion that ensued
Mr.. c. f. Dexter, of Chicago, long
Known to the prominent dairymen At
the West, as an excellent Judge Of but
ter and cheese, gave his views on the
Pro Rata method of awarding pre-
miums. which seemed to strike many
as better way than is usually employ
ed. AT the request of Hon. S. Nj.
Emery, secretary of the Board of Agri-
culture of Minnesota, Mr.. Dexter wrote
out an explanation of the method. and
his reasons for believing it more just
than the "all or nothing" way Of get
ting or losing premiums. His IDEAS
were Published in the Minneapolis
Farm Stock and Home, aud are As fol-
lows:
The experience of the older DAIRY
states proves that. so far as conditions
will permit, the factory system must
prevail in the manufacture of dairy
products, because its average product
is worth more, and costs less (f time
is money! than the product Of the lairv.
The lirst-claSs. we'll managed dairy
will survive all vicisstudes, and meet
the limited demand for high quality 10
small quantities but the factory only
hn 1ApnoNtt5 of inf ~ ..f.
and International commerce The
state may well encourage all iorms Of
industry, with duo regard to transi.
tional conditions, and the ultimate sur
vival of the iittest.
1t is q difficult task to award pre-.
miums on dairy products, with Ger
tainty of justice to all. At a very
large exhibition of DAIRY products. the
lots taking first and second premium
in different classes We're entered for
sweepstakes. The lot which took
second premium IN its class won the
sweepstakes against the lot which took
first premium in the same class, that is.
the sweepstakes judges reversed the
decision of the class judges on the rel
alive merits of the same two LOTS
| Among 4 large number of enteries in
the same class there may be five or ten
lots so nearly equal in quality that
under different judges any one of them
might be awarded sweepstakes, or any
three first, second and third premiums
When an exhibitor makes $50 pounds
of butter at one churning. enters 80
| pounds IN each of three classes and
| finds that his score is not the same in
al the classes, or that he gets sweep
stakes in one class, second premium ia
another, and nothing in another,
neither logic nor language can shake
his conviction that the judges are
either incompetent or undnly in
fluenced. These inevitable variations
become known 70 exhibitors who are
anxious for honor or profit, and pro-
duce in the fertile soil of human nature
large crop of "kicks' of the usual
varieties: the double heel horizontal,
and the single hoof oblique; the silent,
internal disgust, and the loud external
denunciation
Experienced judges knoW that these
variations are in large degrees I'M
avoidable. There is no absolute stand
ard of perfection. Different judges
! (and even the same Judge under diff
ferent conditions) will vary one to
| three points on the one hundred point
scale in scoring the same package or
lot, according TO the requirements Of
the trade or locality in which they were
educated. The judge necessarily scores
an entry by comparing it with entries
previously scored If his score repre-
sents correctly the relative merits Of
the class no injustice is done, although
he may work on higher or lower
standard than he does in some other
class
The rro-rata method Of awarding
premiums on dairy products neutralizes
the danger of injustice inseparahle
from the variations referred to. | sub
join the following outline as 81 sample
based on a 100 point scale:
DIVISION "A"-DAIaY PRODUCTS
Az pro-rata premiums viii be divided among the
/ entries scoring dj0re the stated minimum III
! proportion to the number of point, scored
/ dbOUe the minimum.
! RULE; Divide the total premium BY the total
number OF points scored ADORE the minimum
/ The quoteut is the amount awarded for each
/ point scored by any entry above the minimum
CLASS 2C-Creoaiery Batter.
t Made from, ~ a milk or crear, of different