406 



JUDGING FARM ANIMALS 



compactness of form, breadth of back, thickness of hind- 

 quarter, depth of body, shortness of neck and legs, and 

 character of fleece. If examined as fat sheep, then condition, 

 necessarily, is of prime importance. Each animal must be 

 studied and a mental comparison made with one that scores 

 100 per cent. As the butcher's block is the measure of 



Fig. 224. "One must be careful not to give high plaeings to animals that 

 seriously lack balance." 



value in the case of the fat sheep, it is important that the 

 judge should not allow points of secondary value to affect 

 his judgment on essentials. The judge in the show ring, after 

 sufficient examination, in case of considerable competition, 

 often draws from the line those that he regards of merit, 

 not occupying his attention with the remainder. The few 

 drawn out are then lined up as a separate group, and the 



