166 



and a flaw in the indictment; but this same 

 editor is now reformed, and, I see, strongly ad- 

 vocating morality. 1 glory in his wisdom, and 

 therefore freely forgive him. If I am "pug- 

 nacious," unclassical, severe, and forbidding, as 

 my opponents choose to characterize me, I can 

 forgive. Nor do I consider publishing Mr. 

 Brown's article a breach of trust, after his con- 

 duct to me. 



* * * 



EDITORS AND JUDGES. 



There is nothing more important to the agri- 

 cultural community than just and good judges. 

 Nor is there any true evidence of a man's being 

 a good judge of cattle because he lives in a 

 large, expensive house, and gives high prices 

 for imported stock. Such men, if reported rich, 

 are very apt to be looked up to for this depart- 

 ment many of which are very fearful of soil- 

 ing their hands and their clothes, frequently 

 handle cattle with their gloves on; some of 

 kid and others of a different material. Such 

 men generally consider such labor beneath their 

 dignity, while practical men leave not a single 

 point unexamined, making their hands and 

 their eyes guide them to a just decision. Such 

 men will not be swayed from the true points 

 of an animal by prejudice, favor or aristocratic 



influential men, but will give the animal its due 

 without reference to its owner. All societies 

 will be a curse to the country until such men 

 are nominated. 



In the present course of things, a costly ani- 

 mal, say a "five thousand dollar one,'' must be 

 the best, because he costs so much, when good, 

 unbiased judgment would probably pronounce 

 him in second or third class. 



There is no lack of display in portraits and 

 publications, and these enormous prices quickly 

 go the rounds. Editors of agricultural papers 

 are generally too anxious to "obtain first" such 

 exciting articles, and are very jealous of others 

 who "copy from them without credit." Neither 

 do they forget to flatter and feed the vanity 

 of those extravagant purchasers, many of whom 

 never see the animals until they arrive home, 

 spurring them on to this destructive mania, and 

 when such prices are given without judgment 

 or discussion, it is a ruinous principle. 



Most judges are apt to select animals for 

 prizes from their "important" puffed charac- 

 ter, made public by editors, who had probably 

 been well paid for their puffing rather than 

 trusting to their own judgment, and frequently 

 listen to these dictates as settled facts without 

 consideration. The owner, too, is an important 

 man, and frequently money only has made him 



HEREFORDS ON THE PLAINS OF COLORADO. 

 (From a photograph taken in the spring, after a hard winter.) 



