290 ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT, AUGUST 3, 1886, 
which adorned the walls. Of these I was particularly impressed 
with the representations of the Australian Eucalypts and the 
Canadian Conifers, which were brought out in a very life-like 
manner. There was another point in connection with the Exhi- 
bition I desire to notice. That is the Conferences which were 
held frequently in the Conference Hall—occasionally two in a 
day and sometimes on three days a week. Many subjects of 
great interest were taken up. One day cinchona; another, tea; 
another, coffee; another, dyes; and so on. ‘These discussions 
were taken part in by men of great experience, whose opinions on 
the subjects dealt with were of the greatest weight. I was also 
present at a discussion on the forests of India, when Dr Brandis, 
who began his work in 1855, on the Eastern side of the Bay of 
Bengal, gave a summary of the results of conservancy, and 
graphically described the progress of Forest Administration over 
millions of acres stretching away to the base of the Himalaya. On 
this occasion there were probably not more than eighty persons 
present, but they were nearly all experts, and in the course of a 
two hours’ conference a large amount of useful information was 
elicited. Dr Brandis, who is a German, bore testimony to the 
wonderful progress of cultivation in the British Provinces and 
also in the native States, and showed that there had been great 
advances made in public works, such as schemes of irrigation, 
canals, etc. The last Conference during my visit was one on 
tropical fruits, in which valuable information concerning the 
capabilities of Jamaica was given by Mr Morris, lately of 
Jamaica, and now assistant director of the Royal Gardens, Kew. 
In concluding, I may refer to the Handbooks and Pamphlets 
published by the Exhibition authorities, and which contain an 
immense amount of information on both Indian and Colonial 
subjects, and constitute in themselves a most useful library of 
reference. I would advise as many of our friends as can possibly 
do so to go to London and see it for themselves. 
