Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1913-11-07
JUDGING MERINOS AT AGRICUL-
TURAL FAIRS.

A year ago decided that would not
show my sheep at any fair where they
would not let the exhibitors know who
was to Judge the sheep. The result
was that made a show at only two
fairs.
/ believe that all exhibitors of live
stock have a right to know who is to
pass judgment on their stock. Some
fairs in their premium lists say the
judge is an expert" Let the name
of that expert be at the head of the
premium list and then the exhibitors
can Judge whether he is an expert or
not.
There is a growing tendency with
some fairs to have a college professor
judge not only the coarse woods, but
also the fine woods. While | have seen
splendid work done on the coarse woods,
they always "fal down" when they
judge fine woods. Merino sheep have
more points than any other animal that
l know of, both good points and bad
points; and only breeder of Merinos
can distinguish which is good and which
is bad. l was looker-on at one fair
where college professor was judging
Merinos-Class A rams two years old
and over. He made the awards with
out asking the exhibitors to turn their
sheep down so he could see their under
sides. When asked why he did not
have them do so, his reply was that he
could tell what they had on their under
sides without an examination. | asked
him why he did not ask them when their
sheep were shorn (as Iknew there was
several months difference in the time
they were last shorn); his reply was
that he did not care to hear them lie.
When society in their premium list
say that all Merino sheep shown in
classes A, B and C must be sheared
close, and even on or after January 1st
of the year they are exhibited, if the
judge has any doubt about their being
shorn within the year he should require
the exhibitor to furnish proof to the
society before he can draw his premium
money. Also, in a pen of four lambs,
get of one sire, the exhibitor should
show certificate of registration from
the secretary of his association.
am satisfied that there are more
good sheep ruined of their usefulness
by being over-fitted for the fairs than
by neglect, as know of one exhibitor
who begins fitting his sheep several
months before the fair season opens
They are oiled and singed and blank eted
at all times except when they are being
judged. They must have the best of
alfalfa hay, roots and cabbage, and
blankets hung up in front of them if it
is an open pen, so the wind cannot
strike them.
After year or two of such treatment
if they should be sold to go to a foreign
country and should be turned cut on the
plains without any care, they will be of
no value to the purchaser. At meet
ing of the American and Delaine So
ciety of Columbus a few years ago,
after the business meeting was over we
had what the old soldiers call "smoke-
talk, - and among other things | was
ask ed how | fitted sheep for the fairs.
My leply was that when it was time tc
: take sheep to the fair | got them up ir
, the barn, backed my wagon up to the
barn, went in and picked out such sheer
as | wished to show, loaded them into
: my wagon and started for the fair
when the fair closed the sheep were
, returned to the farm and put in with
: the flock. This statement was received
} with derisive laughter by the young
men of Ohio, who are used to treating
= their sheep different. But my state
ment was true, nevertheless.
: never used blanket on my show
: sheep except one year, and these sheer
. being shipped by express to the diff
A ferent fairs. fused cotton-oied blankets
on them, and the weather proving very
warm the sheep seemed to suffer mucl
! more than without them; and for thi
! reason have discarded blankets.
2 E. NJ BIssELL.
1 The Michigan Farmer, Nov /, 1913
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