Vol. IV. No. 90. 



THE AGKICULTURAL NEWS. 



293 



COLONIAL AND INDIAN EXHIBITION. 



List of Awards. 



The last issue of the W(;st India Committee 

 Circular contains full particulars of the awards made 

 in connexion with West Indian exhibits at the Colonial 

 and Indian Exhibition, 1905. The following extract is 

 of interest :— 



The award to .Jamaica of the coveted gold medal, so 

 generously presented by the Direct West India Cable Co. 

 for the best collective exhibit, irrespective of size, is a matter 

 for the heartiest congratulation to that colony, to Jlr. .John 

 Barclay and !Mr. Frank Cundall, the two Commissioners, to 

 the Local Committee, and indeed to the enlightened press of 

 the island, who in the face of what always appeared to be 

 mistaken opposition, succeeded in bringing matters to 

 a succesful issue, and secured the representation of Jamaica 

 at an exhibition, which, before it closes, bids fair to be 

 visited by considerably over a million people. Trinidad 

 ran Jamaica close, and Barbados was only six points behind, 

 and to these colonies, and to the other recipients of awards, 

 \fc must convey our congratulations. We should go 

 even further than this, and convey our congratulations to 

 Grenada and to all who have participated in the present 

 display, believing, as we do, that the beneficial results, 

 though they may not in every instance be immediate, will 

 at any rate be lasting. Already the exhibition is awakening 

 in this country a greater interest in AVest Indian produce 

 than has been witnessed for many years past, and thi* 

 is evinced in a marked degree by the inquiries which 

 we are continually receiving at the West India Committee 

 llooms regarding the various islands and the produce which 

 comes from their fertile soil. . . A purveyor of Jamaica 

 cigars states that he is already receiving many inquiries from 

 people who would otherwise not have had an opportunity of 

 smoking the fragrant weed of the erst-while land of sugar and 

 rum, and then again we have placed on record our own 

 experience in connexion with limes. A consignment of limes 

 was exhibited, and in view of the shortage of lemons, a letter 

 was addre.ssed by the Secretary of the West India Committee 

 to a leading trade paper, inviting grocers to share in a trial 

 shipment with a view to bringing before the notice of their 

 customers the merits of this most excellent citrous fruit, and 

 almost by return of post nearly 100 orders were received 

 from different parts of the country, and indeed, we might 

 add, other countries, for one actually came from Denmark. 

 The moral from this is easy to draw. What can be done for 

 limes can also be done for other West Indian produce, and 

 if West Indians will avail themselves of such opportunities 

 as are afforded by this exhibition, the results will be 

 incalculable. 



The following is a summary of the awards secured 

 by the West Indies : — 



BARBADOS. 



Grand Prize (for general e.xhibit). 

 12 Gold Medals. 

 12 Silver Medals. 

 1 Bronze Medal. 



JAMAICA. 



Gold Medal (presented by the Direct West 

 India Cable Co. for best collective exhibit). 

 Grand Prize (for general e.xhibit). 

 17 Gold Medals. 

 15 Silver Medals. 



3 Bronze Medals. 



7 Hon. ilentions. 



TRINtD\D. 



Grand Prize (for general exhiljit). 

 Grand Prize (for Kidney seed-cottony 

 15 Gold Medals. 

 11 Silver Medals. 

 5 Bronze iledals. 

 19 Hon. Mentions. 



GRENADA, 



1 Gold Medal. 

 1 Silver Medal. 

 1 Hon. Mention. 



MISCELLANEOUS AWARDS. 



Mr. Algernon E. Aspinall obtained a Grand Prize for 

 West Indian picture post-cards. Five gold medals and one 

 silver medal were also awarded to various firms showing 

 miscellaneous exhibits of West Indian produce. 



It may also be mentioned that the Botanica 

 Department in Jamaica obtained a gold medal for 

 ' Fruits and living economic plants,' and a gold medal 

 for ' Sea Island ginned cotton.' To the Botanical 

 Department in Trinidad were awarded a gold medal 

 for bananas ; for coffee a silver and a bronze medal and 

 an hon. mention ; for cacao (River estate) an hon. 

 mention ; for cassava and other starches a silver medal ; 

 for cotton a grand prize, a gold medal, and an hon. 

 mention; a gold medal for essential oils; and a gold 

 medal for bamboos. 



GERMINATING PARA RUBBER SEEDS. 



The following note on germinating seeds of Para 

 rubber {Hevea hra-isiliensis) is taken from the proceed- 

 ings of the Agri-Horticultural Society of Madras, 

 October to December 1904: — 



In these gardens we have been in the habit, for the 

 last three years, of germinating seeds to supply to the 

 planters on the Nilgiris. The first year, the plan of 

 sowing direct in pots and pans was adopted with very 

 poor results. In the second and third years, a system on 

 the plan of a seed-tester was tried. Platforms were erected 

 about 4 feet from the ground, and on these old sacking was 

 stretched (coir matting would be preferable). Over these was 

 placed a little powdered charcoal to assist in retaining moisture. 

 The seeds were then placed on this and covered with more 

 sacking and the whole kept damp by occasional watering. 

 The seeds were examined every day and as soon as any 

 showed signs of germinating they were removed and potted 

 oft". Seventy-five per cent, of a case of seeds received from 

 Peradeniya germinated after this treatment in spite of having 

 been delayed by the Madras Customs authorities for over 

 three weeks. 



This plan may be well worth trying iu cases where 

 seeds have been long delayed in transit to the estate. 



