14 



At the earlier shows of the Club much appears to have 

 devolved upon the Stewards, because the whole of the 

 arrangements in the yard had to be made on the spot, 

 and during the arrival of the stock ; for the entries were 

 sent in with the animals, and, indeed, in the first instance 

 the certificates of feeding, etc., were delivered direct to 

 the judges. After the preparations for the annual exhibi- 

 tions of the Club became more systematic, the Stewards 

 were saved a considerable portion of this unnecessary 

 labour ; but they had still responsible duties to perform, 

 especially in the appointment of the judges, which duty 

 was entrusted to them from the year 1827 to 1863. Under 

 this new constitution they were relieved to a great extent 

 by the appointment of a Judges' Selection Committee, of 

 which they were ex-officio members ; but they have still, in 

 their respective departments, to decide upon any doubtful 

 cases of qualification, to supervise the weighing of the 

 animals, to be in attendance during the arrival of the 

 stock, as well as during the time the judges are making 

 their awards, and generally to see that the rules of the 

 Club are strictly adhered to. 



In the same year, 1863, a special Divine Service was 

 given for the first time by the Vicar of Islington for 

 the men in charge of the live stock, and this has been 

 continued ever since. Other items in the Club's history of 

 the years following may be noted, as the effect of the cattle 

 plague, prevalent in 1865, upon the Shows and working of 

 the Club, the appointment in 1867 of Mr. H. H. Dixon, the 

 author of " Saddle and Sirloin," to write the reports of the 

 Shows, which were discontinued in 1870, and the election, 

 in 1872, of Professor Brown (now Sir George T. Brown, 

 C.B.), as Veterinary Inspector to the Club* The want of 

 such an officer had been felt for some years, as animals 

 frequently suffered from the effects of travelling, and 

 occasionally from disease ; also doubts had constantly arisen 

 as to the ages of some of the pigs exhibited. These con- 

 siderations led to the appointment of the Veterinary 

 Inspector to examine the state of the dentition of pigs, 

 and later, the dentition of cattle and sheep also, and to look 

 to the animals generally. His assistance subsequently 

 became still more requisite. Cases of foot-and-mouth disease 

 had become frequent in animals that had been sent to other 

 exhibitions, and the fearful visitation of the cattle plague, 

 not only made it necessary for all animals to be examined 

 before they could be admitted into the Show, but also that 



of t hl^ fes i s ?r r Amends who had resigned the office on his appointment to the Principalship 

 * the Royal Veterinary College, being elected Honorary Veterinary Inspector. 



