animal he prefers, and the defects of those favoured by his fellow 

 judges. The consequence is, that they either allow the judge with the 

 largest amount of argument to have his way, or they perhaps settle the 

 matter by casting lots as to whose opinion is to be followed. 



The second cause too hurried decisions is of too frequent occur- 

 rence. Even where the number of exhibits is comparatively small, it 

 is too much the custom with some judges to hurry through the work. 

 Where, again, the exhibits are numerous, it is a matter of necessity for 

 one set of judges to go quickly through them. When it is considered 

 that the whole aim of the show may be defeated, and months of prepa- 

 ration and heavy outlay thrown away through this carelessness or haste, 

 to the bitter disappointment of the exhibitors, and of those who have 

 had the management of the exhibition, it is the height of folly to run the 

 risk of giving incorrect awards through hurrying over the judging. 



The third cause of erroneous awards alluded to is prejudice on the 

 part of the judge for a particular breed of stock or strain of blood, or 

 for a particular point of the animal, and a dislike, or at least a disre- 

 gard, for the others. 



The fact of some judges being prejudiced in favour of particular 

 breeds and families and of particular strains of blood is so natural and 

 notorious as to require no proof. If it did, the remark which is con- 

 stantly heard of such and such a judge being a '-'Booth," and the next 

 a " Bates" man, would be sufficient confirmation of the assertion. 



It is equally natural, and quite as notorious, that some judges 

 consider certain points of " quality" or "form" the most essential in a 

 beast, and set too low a value on others. This has a most material 

 effect on the decision, especially when the question as to whether 

 " quality" or " form" should have the call turns up. Even where 

 points of " form" are pitted against each other, the divergence of 

 opinion among judges is often very great, and those, who are otherwise 

 good judges, give very erroneous decisions both through under and 

 over-valuing particular points. 



These erroneous awards of course account for the want of uniformity 

 or rather divergence of opinion which we every day see in respect to 

 the same animals coming before different judges, and which tends so- 

 much to confusion and doubt as to the value of the different points in 

 stock, and the excellences and defects which the animals exhibited. 



2. The present system of judging does not require the judges to give the 

 reasons jor their awards ; and it, therejore, fails to satisfy the bulk of the 

 exhibitors, as it ought to do, that they have been Jairly dealt with. 

 It is impossible, under any system of judging, to satisfy all the 

 exhibitors that the awards are all correctly made, and that all the 

 animals are properly placed ; but the majority of those who call the 

 judges' decisions in question do so through ignorance ; and, if the 

 excellences and defects of the exhibits were pointed out by the judges. 



