No. 4.] JUDGING BY SCALE OF POINTS. 99 



with stock of all kinds wanting individuality. The fact that 

 so small a per cent of our colts develop into valuable road- 

 sters, that the average milk and butter production in New 

 England falls far below the limit of profit, while there is a 

 sure profit with both, furnishes all the evidence that a change 

 is called for which will educate to a different standard. The 

 supreme excellence of the scale of points and score-card is 

 realized only when every individual exhibitor is furnished 

 with the detailed score of every animal, plate of apples, peck 

 of vegetables, or manufactured product shown by him. 



Beyond this the educative work possible at all our annual 

 exhibitions, great and small, can never be recognized or 

 secured until with the expert there goes the clerk, to place 

 upon a black-board, where all may read, the record of each 

 score as made by the judge. This publicity removes the last 

 objection to the scale of points, and insures prompt question- 

 ings by interested parties. 



As the work progresses and scores multiply on the black- 

 board, the causes for variation will be inquired into, and the 

 animals should be brought together and the lesson fixed by 

 comparison. The expert who cannot defend his score intel- 

 ligently is not fit to perform the duties. Let discussions be 

 encouraged. You cannot award honors to owners in such a 

 field. There are many around as sharp as the judge, and 

 they will be satisfied only when the whys are answered and 

 justice is done. 



The furnishing of a copy of the score of each individual 

 exhibit to each exhibitor involves extra work on the officers, 

 but the exhibitors who make the exhibition have the ris^ht to 

 insist that this be done. 



If the State requires a standard of perfection, as it should, 

 in order for an award to be made, it should guarantee the 

 score card to each exhibitor telling of the worth of his indi- 

 vidual exhibit. Let the rule be established that a total of 

 75 out of 100 points must be obtained in order for a first 

 premium to be awarded. 



If agricultural societies are to continue and do their best 

 work in developing the varied industries of a State, the 

 best interests of the smallest and humblest exhibitor must be 

 recognized. The tendency to concentration of exhibits and 



