18 JUDGING FARM ANIMALS 



rangement of the scale of points is the result of careful 

 study and use, and meets with the general approval of 

 present day students of animal form. If one will but com- 

 pare the first scale of points, on page 16, with that of the 

 dairy cow on page 275, the superior arrangement of the 

 one over the- other will be clearly seen. 



Breed standards are usually expressed through the 

 scale of points. Many breeds have standard official de- 

 scriptions, although most of the breeds of horses and beef 

 cattle have thus far adopted nothing of the kind. Such 

 great breeds as the Percheron, Clydesdale and Shorthorn, 

 have none. The breed score cards vary considerably in 

 make-up and style of expression. Many of them begin with 

 the head, and then in sequence, in more or less detail, 

 specify the conformation and character of each part from 

 front to rear. Especial emphasis is usually placed on that 

 feature regarded as of much importance in the breed, as 

 the udder and veins in Holstein-Friesian cattle, or wool 

 with Merino sheep, or the back and loin of the Poland- 

 China hog. 



Conditions of disqualification of representatives of 

 certain breeds, are specified in connection with the scale of 

 points. These disqualifying clauses are especially intro- 

 duced as features of the scales of points of most breeds of 

 swine. For example, one of the Poland-China Associations 

 has published disqualification definitions as applied to 

 form, size, condition, score and pedigree. That for condi- 

 tion is as follows: "Excessive fatness; barrenness; de- 

 formed; seriously diseased; total blindness, caused by de- 

 fective eyes, or by reason of fat or loose and wrinkled skin 

 over the eyes." Disqualification should be applied to the 

 representative of any breed, that does not conform to the 

 established standard, or is defective in any particular. 



The method of using the score card, whereby an animal 

 is compared with the ideal set forth in the scale of points, 

 should be the first lesson in a systematic study of judging. 

 Perhaps one of the simplest, shortest examples of a scale 



