fear that it would soon be impossible to produce sufficient 

 for the consumption of the country, he said : " At this day 

 we produce two sheep fit for the market where our forefathers 

 only produced one, and this great result is owing in a^great 

 measure, to the formation of clubs of this description." 



An example from the working of the Club of the desire 

 to encourage the development and improvement of breeds 

 specially suited to particular localities, is seen from the 

 establishment about this time of a class for Scotch and 

 Welsh (and later on Irish) cattle, in order that their develop- 

 ment should not be retarded by the discouragement 

 involved in competing with larger growing breeds. 



The Show in 1840 was visited on the Tuesday by 

 H.R.H. Prince Albert, and also on the Thursday by 

 H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge. 



It was at the meeting in this year that, in increasing 

 the value of the Gold Medal, it was determined as a 

 token of the Club's appreciation of their President's interest 

 and labours on their behalf, that Earl Spencer's likeness 

 be stamped on the side of it, and that his Lordship be 

 requested to sit to Mr. William Wyon, R.A., of the 

 Mint, in order that a perfect likeness be procured. 



The progress of the Club was now very rapid. H.R.H. 

 Prince Albert, and H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge, were 

 both elected members in 1841. In 1843, Mr. Humphrey 

 Gibbs resigned the office of Hon. Secretary, and was 

 succeeded by Mr. (afterwards Sir) B. T. Brandreth Gibbs, 

 whose name will always be honourably associated with the 

 Club. 



In 1844 Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Albert 

 visited the Show. 



Of course increased attention caused a certain 

 misconception of the effects of the Club's efforts, by 

 those who were imperfectly acquainted with the objects 

 which the Club had in view, and this misconception 

 has continued among some until the present day. 

 The writer of " British Husbandry," in Vol. I. of the 

 " Library of Useful Knowledge," while placing the Smithfield 

 Club first among those who have contributed to the high 

 state of perfection which a portion of our cattle have attained, 

 says that it has been ludicrously objected to by the latter, 

 that the animals exhibited at their Annual Show are 



" Too dear to buy, too fat to eat," 

 and an impression has gone forth that the premiums 



