JUDGES' JUDGMENT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1437, 11 May 1912, Page 8

JUDGES' JUDGMENT.

' EOOlf FOR A , NEW SYSTEM. • At the opening of the Sydney Hoyal Bhow the State- Governor, Lord Chelmsfofd, is -reported to havo advocated that lectuTca should, be given.. by the, judges ■in order th it exhibitors should get the full educational benefit of-the'enow, and know why certain exhibits were adjudged the best. "It would bo well." writes Mr. Kobert Cobb, of Manawntu, .reforring to the aboyo "if Now'Zealnndcrs could emulate this;example, and. not rest until ft more explicit' method of conveying rea»oDt for awarding show certificates is arrived at! Not only the exhibitors, but the public who pay for 'admission, aro Entitled to.know why certain exhibits are placed -before, others by those wlio are ■supposed to bo capablo of judging! ; I uso 'the -word--'supposed' advisedly, ■ for how niany.sucb. do.wo find,screening their denciencyofknowledge under the cloak of silence, remembering the old proverb that 'the tongue of a fool is the key of his ignorance'? and wisdom is often accredited the man who listens and says nothing! No't infrequently a judge's reply to the query of an. anxious exhibitor as ,to why his exhibit was placed second, "is briefly: 'Because it's my opinion!' and the victim eventually , leaves the competitive ground 'a sadder.but not a wiser man'! : Again, ■ what object ■ lesson '■ is tho ordinary prize'card to the visiting public, and what educational interest can they, bo expected to take in the live stock exhibits, when no explanation is given, or reasons assigned, for tho decisions arrived at? It's all very well, right, and proper for a mother to tell ono sou that 'his brother is a bettor boy than he, tut unless she adds in what particular, «he cannot expect improvement any more thanan A. and P. Association can expect the exhibitor to improve his stock.' or the public to take interest in and benefit by the comparative merits'of the 'animals under review—unless explained. V "For this reason. I have, and always will, advocate the. system of 'judging on points,' which admits of all interested

ascertaining for themselves by ecanning the 'tickets . on,.each. .pen, .showing:- their of merit. •No'-vrilid-reason- hasryet been given for for"dding'sb, and,l, for one, am at a loss to understand why, l in-this age of enlighteilmeht/the 'publio'>'liave not insisted on its adoption, and no enterprising A. and P. Committee had tlio pluck to, lead the way. Is it that breeders desire to monopolise the art of breeding, to the detriment of all beeiiiners, for. fear of.competition? Pailing this, I think his Excellence's suggestion an admirable. one, especially it (liko the political candidate) after the addross, the judge permits himself to be questioned on'"matters relating to his judgment. Then, and not till then, shall ■ko get any definite knowledge of a judge s capabilities, and the exhibitors and public benefit by his judgment!"

A STANDARD FOE EOMNEYS. .In a further communication, Mr. Cobb writes:—"Since penning the above, news has come to hand from Sydney to the effcet that at the Royal Show 'the great disappointment among the sheep was the Komney Marsh section, and the lack of competition was probably clue to uncer-tainty-as to the points on which tho animals" aro judged/ . And again, 'The exhibits in the Komney Marsh class seem to illustrate again the necessity for fixing some standard of type \ for judging purposes. As it is, there would be considerable difficulty on the' part of a new man desirous of taking up the breed m obtoining satisflotion by 'following the decisions at different shows. Sheep showing Tery different characteristics are successful, and there is apparently no decided ■agreement among judges as to the points of the breed. . Exactly so! This has been my contention all along regarding the judging throughout the Southern Hemisphere, and although perhaps the Komney, in his native country, shows more variety of character than any other longwool breed, yet there is no need for the incongruity of judgment noticeable, not only in the Australian shows, but throughout the exhibitions of the Dominion (the home of the Homney this side of the .Line). Years ago I tabled a notice of motion for the Komney Breeders' Association Conference, . held at Palmerston North, to consider the advisability of establishing a fixed type and to adopt the- system ,01 judging on points,' and, in due course, introduced tho subject.to a full meeting, when I was met by the following objections from several breeders, including Mr. A. Matthews, of the- Wairarapa (who on several occasions has filled the office of Eomnoy Marsh judgo at our shows (luring the past twenty.. years), viz.-that as opinions differed regarding tho true type with different bleeders, it was futile, it not impolitic, to-determine any P««cu«ir standard of* fleece on which to decide the Taluo of merit in a points judgment, and, moreover, tho samo gent eman informed the meeting that, 'in order to meet the requirement of different. clients who owned or farmed different descriptions of "and, ho made a practice of breeding two distinct types,.in the same stud flock, one possessing a fine, dense fleece, ami the Other a strong, open, curly one. Coming, as it did, from one who was looked upon ts an authority on such matter , and, mnrßover being supported by tho late an. ' WhS'and the majority of the repteer ? Ron?o niii,' resulting in a reqnost by the ow pi that I should demonstrate my rlews v procuring for him the first voiced in our sister colony.. . • • Sr P faher it Ivvchurch, . Romney Marih) A portrait oF this animal, after hf first victory at the 1333 show of the defnnct original A. .and . F. ABSOciation. is Tcprodnced here, but tno

appearance of hie fleece, own* to a. three months' voyage in a sailing ship, hardly does him justice. In conclusion, I would add'that bo long aa this 'go-as-you-please policy of breeding continues, so long will these complaints from outsiders, ■ such as our Sydney friends have ventilated, be in evidence, and the sooner a standard of points is fixed by the Roniney Marsh Breeders' Association, the better for tlio breed and breeders in this country.