130 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



April 29, 19n. 



forwarding of exhibits has been given fruni time to 

 time in the Agricultural News, more particularly in 

 Vols. VII, p. 14.5 and IX, p. 210. It will be well to 

 recapitulate this here, as well as to draw attention 

 to the additional information that is available since the 

 visit of Mr. W. N. Sands, Agricultural Superintendent of 

 St. Vincent, to Canada last year, in conne:<ion with the 

 exhibitions at Toronto and St John. The infurnia- 

 tion is embodied in Mr. Sands's report (jn his mission, 

 which is reproduced in the West Indian Bulletin, 

 Vol. XI, p. 1:^3. Attentii.)n is drawn to this article, in 

 yiew of its particular usefulness in connexion with the 

 assembling and despatch of material for exhibitions in 

 ( "anada. 



should contain as much jjrimarily u.seful information as 

 possible; this should be concerned with the name of the 

 colony and of the exhibitor, as well as that of the 

 exhibit, and where there are no general market quota- 

 tions for a product, its price should be placed on the 

 label (see \Vest Indian Bulletin, Vol. XI, p. 142). 

 In a like ci)nnexion, the labelling of the packages 

 shoidd be done in a plain and uniform manner, follow- 

 ing the example given on page 134 of the volume of 

 the West Indian Bulletin to which reference has 

 been made. Finally, much useful assistance will be 

 given to those responsible for the placing out of the 

 exhibits by the provision of a list of these, giving the 

 numbers and corresponding contents. 



In regard to the packages in which the collected 

 goods are sent, these should consist of cases and crates 

 that are strong and likely to remain rigid even when 

 roughly handled: for this reason, kerosene tins and 

 similar packages should not be used for outside pack- 

 ing. Great care should be exercised in the matter of 

 placing the different kinds of goods in the cases. 

 Heavy articles should not be packed with exhibits in 

 glass bottles, nor should bottles containing liquids be 

 put into cases containing bottles carrying dried 

 products. This is especially important in regard to 

 syrups and uKjlasses, which are likely to burst the 

 bottles and escape, doing irretrievable damage to any 

 such articles as sugars and starches that may have 

 been packed with them. As far as dried products, 

 more particularly, are concerned, these are best enclos- 

 ed in neatly made boxes provided with glazed sliding 

 lids. 



Sufficient room should be provided for an adequate 

 space between the different articles in the packages, in 

 order that a proper amount of carefully selected 

 packing material may be employed. In this connexion, 

 cotton wool is often used to some extent; it is not well 

 suited for the purpose, however, because of the fact 

 that it is adherent, and its employment sometimes 

 necessitates the expenditure of time and labour in 

 removing it from the exhibits and ])ackages that it has 

 been designed to protect. 



Every effort should be made to facilitate the dispo- 

 sition and arrangement of the exhibits when they 

 reach their destination, and to cause them to be as use- 

 ful as possible to any who may be interested in them. 

 To this end, the descriptive labels on the jars and 

 "bottles should be placed near the bottom of them, and 



Fruits other than limes, oranges and grape-fruit 

 should not be sent in any quantity, as they are very 

 unlikely to arrive in proper condition, under present 

 transport arrangements. Any fruits that are forwarded 

 shi)uld be selected with c;ire and should possess an 

 attractive appearance, with no signs of blight or disease. 

 Fresh fruits in gla.ss bottles should be placed in a four 

 per cef.t. solution of formalin, and these packages as 

 well as all others containing liijuids shoidd be examined 

 carefnlh', immediately before packing, to ensure that 

 there is no leakage. Crates containing vegetables such 

 as yams should be well ventilated in order to ensure 

 that the specimens will arrive in good condition. 

 Decorative material will be found useful at the exhibi- 

 tion, but no heavy packages such as plants in pots or 

 tubs should be sent, on account of the expense of their 

 transport from St John to Toronto. In regard to the 

 provision of descriptive handbooks and photographs, 

 the advice to send them may be repeated, as these serve 

 to fix the interest of visitors to the exhibition, and to 

 place them in possession of information of the kind 

 that will be most useful to them. 



A further edition of the illustrated booklet entitled 

 ' The West Indies in Canada ', which has been issued 

 annuallv by the Imperial Department of Agriculture, 

 since 1907, for use at the Canadian Exhibitions, is about 

 to be prepared, in accordance with the revision that is 

 entailed in the issue of such a publication from j-ear to 

 year. '^Phis comprises chiefly a description of the condi- 

 tions in the West Indies, with their circumstances of pro- 

 duction, and gives as well such statistics as are of more 

 particular concern in this special connexion. The 

 purpose of its compilation is to increase the interest in 

 the West Indies, in Canada, and to provide easily 

 accessible information of a useful nature for those in 

 whom this interest has been aroused. 



