The farmer. Show-yard Judging.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2027, 4 July 1885, Page 2 (Supplement)

The farmer. Show-yard Judging.

The prevailing system o£ phow yard jadging («ays the Live Stork Journal) is not unfitqaentlj the eubjfet of diaoussion. It is pointed out tbr.t there is a want of naiforraity in decisions, that the awards at one show often entirely up>-ct t&o^e at another, &n<i that tbo onlookers an thus pprplexed and amused rather than edified. There is po doubt much truth in thia, and theie i=) little likelihood of it« ever beinsj fully checked. While human nnture remains as it is there will be diversity of opinion in regard to live stock as m respact te almo»t every thing else. Bat although a certain ainauai of diversity in decisions may be inevitable, it ia not u»reasonable to expect that some improvement mifjht be s£feoted upon the present condition of matters, ihere ia niach need for a clearer and more general understanding than there exists au t* what conatitutes pencctioaa in our various raoes of furm stock, for until we arrive at ■©rusthing like agreement on thia point, bhow yard decisions rmy be expected to be frequently uncertain and erratic. Then it 13 sometimes doubted whether societies) are sufficiently aaroful in the selection of their judges, and it is also questioned whether the prevailing system of triple judging, that is, thrco judges working together, 11 the be3fc that eo«ld ba devised. There may not bs very great urgenoy for any radical change, but at any rate no harm can— perhaps some good may — ariee from ft consideration of the aubjeot. It is argued by s»me that two judges would be preferable to three ; otkers maintain that the single system would be better still. Amongst other arguments u<*cd against triplejudging, it is contended that it brings into the judging-risg imperfectly qualified men, who act because tkey think their shortcoming will be hid or coaateroalanced by tfac strength of their companions, but who would not accept offloe if they had to adjudicate singly or in couples. It ii urged, also, that the present system enables one of the tkree to push unduly the interests of a friend without baring to face the pubho with the full responsibility of his awards. •' W«U, you ■cc, I was only one of three," is a phrase with which we are not altogether unfamiliar, and it mast be confessed we are afraid that the sfcelter which the triple system affords is occabionally taken advantage of. There is little doubt that the weaK man would more react uy accept office in company than alone morn readily, no dojbt, with two companions than one. Wo nave a shrewd suspicion, howevor, that the weak men, who recognise their own weakness, but acoept office in the feeling that they will be kept right by tkeir companions, are few in number compared to those who, whila equally ill fitted for the office of judge, are emboldened to accept the position by an excess of self-confidence and an inward feeling that no ene knows better than themselves. No doubt, it will be said, that, thehe over conndent men would accept office under the single or d6uble system as Boon as under the triple ayutem. Most likely they would; but then their unreliability wouid, in either of theae two ways, be much more readily discovered than it can be under the prevailing sysrem. Thus it may, with soms shew of reason, be argued that while the adoption of either the single or double system would prevent consciously weak men from accepting office as judge, it would re•ult in unconsciously we&it men beiDg carefully avoided in the selection of judges. l&Wa confess we cannot commend the proposed single judge system. There are many strong objections to it, and one, which witn na overwhelms all otheis, is, that it takes away the advantage whick is gained by consultation. The task of placing in order n large number of animals of nearly equal merit makes a severe call upon a m^n's judgment and reasoning powers, and we are convinced that e\en the strongest man would arrive at decisions more generally accurate, aid more satisfactory to himaelf , if he had the advantage of consulting and discustißg with another weil qualified judge the numerous "proa" a*d " cons " which would have to be eettled m contrasting one animal with another, than if he were compelled to debate and weigh all these contending pomta within his own mind. Some good jaoiat or bad point might be missed by the aue judge and discovered by the other, and thus, with a careful scrutiny and friendly discussion, a result satisfactory to both, y«t slightly different from the first impressions of each, would most likely be arrived at. Consultation we look upon ai essential in the live stock adjudicating ring, and we are, therefore, unable to give oar approval to the single judge system. If the tine really baa come, as some eeem to think it has, when a change skould be tried, thea we would be inclined to give the preference te the double system, that is, two judges in «aeh »et. It ia preferable to the single system, because it secures the advantage of ooniultatio«. I« sonio respects we like it better than the tnpla system, .for one thing, it throws upon each of the two judges a fuller share of tne responsibility for their award than is borne by each of tne individuals who compose a set of tkree. Ike two judges would either agree or would not. If they agreed, then aa much responsibility would lie oa the oae as on other. In a case of disagreement the assistance of a referee would have to be obtained, and in all probability the trio would arrive at a satisfactory conclusion. ia. There might be some difficulty as to the appoiatment of a referee, and this brings us to the consideration of a plan which has lately been brought beloie us, and which we think is well worthy of trial. It is that three judges should be appointed, but that only twd suould act at one time. The third would remain in the ring, but would not do any real work unless any point were referred to him by the other two. It is also suggested aa part of this plan, either that each of the three judges •houid tatae tarn about as referee, or that it •houldbe decided by ballot which two should adjudicate upon each separate class. That ia, it might bo decided beforehand by the stewards that A and B should judge class 1, A and G class 2, £ and C clats 6, and so on ; or that when each successive ola»s was being brought in the ring, the stewards should decide by ballot whloh two of the tluee should award the prizes. One of the advantages of this system would be that a referee would always be at hand, who would have no morn intercourse with the onlookers than the two judges, whose diJlicalties he would have to settle.

At the American Clydesdale Exhibition at Chicago there is to be a competition for Clydeadales driven in auikies. The Ulydesd»Je Horae-breediiig Company are to be represented by Sunrise, a son of the famous Druid, and the equally famous Garacadden Maggie, which will be driven bf Mr. Buchanan (tha m»n»ger) himself. We ehould like to see some of these cumpetitiona started in this country.

A Notklty at the Ostend Poultry Show is «kgaribtd an a blue Lungshan. tfroru the lextarkß of our reporter this seems to havo all the appearance of Black Langshans, onlj differing m color. It ib not improbable that this it a erosß, but if ie could be proved a pure variety it would be a, distinct acquisition. But varieties are not too numerous with us.