JUDGING SHEEP IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS. 15 
PRACTICE JUDGING. 
Aims. — The classroom instruction is but preliminary to the more 
important phase of the subject — practice with the sheep. Although 
the instructor may agree that better results may be obtained by study- 
ing the sheep than by studying about them in books, it is well to 
have in mind very definite aims in the practical work and have a 
definite plan of procedure. The chief purposes in giving practice 
are: (1) To make application of classroom instruction, (2) to gain 
concrete experience and observation upon which to base further dis- 
cussion, and (3) to gain skill in observation and judgment. 
Preparing for a judging trip. — As a rule, secondary schools must 
depend upon neighboring farms for stock- judging material. The 
teacher should know the live stock in the neighborhood of the school, 
that he may select animals suitable to his purposes. He should plan 
each trip with a definite purpose in view and know what he will 
have to work with. He should secure the consent of the owner and 
make arrangement to have the sheep in suitable inclosures so that no 
time will be lost. Wet, muddy barnyards should be avoided, and if 
there is danger of unfavorable weather, provision should be made for 
working under cover. With all such preparations made in advance, 
the class will need at least a double period for effective work in 
judging if the students have to go any great distance from the 
school. The teacher should be familiar with the animals he intends 
to use. In the case of comparative judging it is especially important 
that the teacher should be well acquainted with the animals and their 
relative merits. To aid the students in establishing high ideals, it 
is well at first to select animals which approach perfection. 
Use of the score card. — The first practice judging should involve 
the use of the score card for a general type. It is assumed that 
in the classroom the students will become familiar with the card and 
the naming of parts. After the students have been shown how to 
handle and examine the animal they may make individual scores. 
Each student should work by himself. Conversation and comparison 
of scores should be avoided while the work is being done. The 
teacher should be able to make a score of the animal in much less time 
than the students and have the remainder of the time to supervise 
their work. Each student should make an estimate of the weight 
of the animal, to be checked by the use of scales if convenient. The 
student should have well fixed in his mind an ideal mutton sheep 
or the ideal of the type to be judged. The card will give the score 
for perfection in the various points; the student will enter a score 
which represents the points which he judges the animal to be worth. 
The sum of these points gives the score of the animal. It should 
be remembered that the use of the card is chiefly for the purpose of 
