TWELFTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VII 343 



show ring, yet good has come from its existence. When we take it into 

 consideration each division at a time we find it describes that which we 

 are striving to reach in almost all divisions. 



The wording in the detailed descriptions might be simplified so as to 

 convey the meaning with less study. Also some divisions may not have 

 enough consideration as indicated by the number of points assigned the 

 division. We believe more consideration should be given size. We ad- 

 vanced that last year from five to six points, taking one off color, leaving 

 it two. 



One objection we find made to the score card is that it leads to a 

 small hog, as the highest-scoring one is the short one. If this be true, 

 it is because the scorer does not give proper consideration to length in 

 back and loin and side and ribs. It might be well to make special men- 

 tion of length in detail of these two divisions. They are both important 

 divisions, the former having fourteen points and the latter ten, almost 

 one-fourth the entire carcass. In each division the words "of good 

 length" could be used. 



We have found the more serious trouble Avith the score card is that 

 most of us swine breeders do not become acquainted with it. Should 

 you ask in your meeting how many are thei'e present who can give the 

 number of divisions in which the hog is divided and the number of 

 points assigned each division according to the card, I doubt if a single 

 hand would go up. Further, when describing a division, from lack of 

 acquaintance with requirements and from custom, we say we like to see 

 a hog thus and so. This at once destroys the very aim of the card, 

 which is to get away with numerous likes and get one standard for all. 



The time for practice at these meetings is too short; the mode adopted 

 is wrong. We do not have the time to spare -from home to get into the 

 real merits of the work. At these meetings we usually score an animal 

 from each of two or three breeds. While a test is better made of the 

 worth of the card, as well as the ability of the scorer by taking three 

 good, well-developed, even animals of one breed, they cannot be selected 

 so good but one is better than the other. 



The one footing the highest score should be the best. While two 

 students may not and do not score the same, yet the sum or aggregate 

 of their score may show the best animal the highest scorer. To illustrate, 

 one may score the best animal 80, second best 78 and third best 75; 

 another may score the best one 83, second 81 and third 78. Both are 

 practically right and the score card is also correct inasmuch as it has led 

 to the best animal. While it has been condemned as being guess work, 

 with study and practice it almost invariably leads to the best animal for 

 first place. 



A. M. Caldwc4I, Champaign, Illinois, tliouglit the score card 

 was intended as an educator and never was practical to judge 

 hogs by. If you don't have some standard of excellence yon 

 are certainly fighting the air. Some men never know what con- 

 stitutes a good hog and it is sometimes amusing to ask a man 



