THE STUDY OF FORM AND FUNCTION 7 



difficult task to bring forward the names of many great 

 sires and dams that judges have repeatedly agreed upon 

 as the best of their kind when exposed to the competition 

 of the show ring. Brilliant the Percheron, Darnley the 

 Clydesdale, Royal Danegelt the Hackney, Avondale the 

 Shorthorn, Dale the Hereford, Lucy 's Prince the Aberdeen- 

 Angus, Pedro the Jersey, Sarcastic Lad the Holstein-Frie- 

 sian, Island Champion the Guernsey, and Howie's Fizz- 

 away the Ayrshire, each won the highest honors in the 

 greatest shows, and were universally regarded as beautiful 

 specimens of the breed. Not only that, but each is a fam- 

 ous sire. To be sure there are many examples of animals 

 that have been shown, on which judges have disagreed in 

 their estimates. These as a rule, however, have not been 

 above justifiable criticism. However, most thinking men 

 will agree that beauty of form and utility are closely as- 

 sociated, and the lower the measure of beauty the less as 

 a rule may be anticipated in the producing capacity. 



The efficient judge is a student of animal form and 

 function. Efficiency increases with careful observation and 

 study. However, no person can be really qualified for the 

 responsibilities of the official judge unless gifted with the 

 instinctive knowledge of the true stockman. That is to 

 say, one must naturally and quickly grasp the real merits 

 to be seen in the animal, irrespective of show ring prepara- 

 tion, or an attractive condition of flesh. Other things being 

 equal, the man who has a love for dumb animals, is very 

 much more likely to see the value in them, than the man 

 who lacks sympathetic sense. The desire to keep in contact 

 with the animal, to study its form and measure its use- 

 fulness, these are characteristics of the judge, be he a 

 college freshman, or a man crowned with years of experi- 

 ence as a breeder or judge. Among the boys who come as 

 students to the college of agriculture, and who are found 

 most frequently in and about the stables, taking every 

 chance to study the stock and absorb ideas from contact 

 with the herdsmen, will be found the most efficient judges 



