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



upon each society to juclo:e horses by the scale of points as 

 laid down by the State Board? 



Secretary Sessions. There is such a rule of the Board. 

 I will read it to you in a moment. 



Mr. P. A. EussELL. What I mean is, whether or not 

 the agricultural society is obliged by law to adopt this 

 system of judging horses ? 



Secretary Sessions. This is the action of the Board at 

 the last annual meeting : " Voted, That in the judging of all 

 live stock, fruit and vegetables, each society shall employ 

 an expert, or experts, unless excused by the executive com- 

 mittee of the Board. These expert judges shall be in- 

 structed to appoint a time for listening to appeals, and to 

 give their reasons for the decisions at which they have ar- 

 rived, if called for; but their decisions shall be final." In 

 reference to the scale of points the action of the Board was 

 this : " Voted, That in awarding premiums, especially on 

 live stock, vegetables and fruit, there shall be established 

 by this Board a scale of points, which shall be adopted by 

 all the societies, so that there shall be a uniform standard 

 throughout the State." That is the rule of the Board of 

 Agriculture as it stands at present. It is on the three 

 hundred and fifty-second page of the last Annual Report of 

 the State Board of Agriculture. 



Question. Suppose that some society does not comply 

 ivith that rule about the scale of points ? 



Secretary Sessions. I am not ready to state now, but 

 virhen I come to make out my return perhaps some of you 

 will find out. 



Dr. Tavitchell. I should like to emphasize that, for I 

 consider it is the most advanced step taken by any Board of 

 Agriculture in the country, a step which I believe is abso- 

 lutely necessary, and I speak from observation and expe- 

 rience, from connection with agricultural societies for a long 

 series of years. I have had a somewhat extended experi- 

 ence in passing upon stock by the use of the score-card 

 throughout the Eastern States and in the Provinces. I be- 

 lieve that if you will adopt this system, and earnestly and 

 faithfully, through the winter, take up the work of scoring 

 and discussion, you will come up to your next exhibition 



