244 



NA TURE 



[July 10, i884 



several reasons it has not been in the power of some 

 foreign Governments to be represented at the Exhibition. 

 And in more than one case, notably that of Chili, an un- 

 foreseen accident occurred to prevent others who intended 

 to be present. Where direct participation, in so far as 

 exhibits are concerned, has been impossible, official maps 

 and publications bearing on the forest service or literature 

 of the country have been forwarded, or a representative- 

 has been commissioned officially to attend, or the efforts 

 of private individuals have been exerted to supply the 

 omission. The Exhibition has thus been inaugurated by 

 the co-operation of many of the foreign and colonial 

 Governments, and by the good wishes of all. 



In the arrangement of the articles exhibited the geo- 

 graphical principle has been adopted, the goods of each 

 country being together. 



A scientific arrangement was very desirable, and the 

 " classification " issued by the Executive Committee was 

 prepared with that intention, but it was found impossible 

 to arrange the Catalogue in accordance with it, from the 

 imperfect details given in many of the schedules of ex- 

 hibitors, and the tardy arrival of the consignments. 

 Great latitude has been allowed to the admission of 

 goods, which have been largely received during the week 

 since the opening, and we believe that the very large and 

 interesting collection from Japan will be in its place in a 

 few days. 



The Catalogue contains much valuable information, 

 especially the portion relating to India and the Scottish 

 Arboricultural Society, which together cover eighty pages ; 

 but it is not yet complete with respect to several colonies 

 and foreign Governments, notably Japan. A new edition 

 is promised, more easy of reference, where the theoretical 

 classification of the articles on paper will agree with the 

 actual distribution in the building. 



The ground on which the buildings are erected is 5 

 acres in extent. The main building is 650 feet long by 

 55 feet broad, with three annexes, each 1 50 feet long by 

 55 feet broad, with a high central dome in each annexe. 



The design of the buildings is similar to the main 

 galleries in the Health Exhibition, Kensington. Addi- 

 tional annexes, 500 feet long and 25 feet broad, similar in 

 design to the main buildings, were erected at a later stage 

 in consequence of the large demands for space by the 

 Japanese Government, &c. ; the exhibiting area thus 

 became one-third larger than its original extent. It is a 

 handsome light building which produces a very agreeable 

 effect on entrance. 



The Electric Railway runs along two sides of the 

 building, and is about 650 yards in length. On the west 

 side of Donaldson's Hospital grounds a field 7 acres in 

 extent was inclosed for the purpose of exhibiting wood- 

 working machinery in motion, nurserymen's exhibits, 

 greenhouses, iron nouses, wire fencing, gates, &c. Here 

 will be found various huts and chalets, including 

 one from Balmoral ; also the Manitoba Settler's Farm, 

 and many varieties of models of gates, fencing materials, 

 &c, exhibited by the Commissioner of Her Majesty's 

 Woods and Forests, all having a connection with the wide 

 subject of forestry. 



The Indian collection occupies the south central tran- 

 sept, and several bays on each side ; it is very large and 

 interesting ; the catalogue has a historical preface by Sir 

 George Birdwood. The arrangement is admirable, Col 

 Michael and his assistant having had experience in the 

 Paris, Vienna, and Amsterdam Exhibitions. 



The Index Collection of Timbers sent by the Govern- 

 ment of India, comprises 800 specimens, with their com- 

 mercial uses and habitats, and illustrates arboreal vegeta- 

 tion from Thibet to Cape Comorin ; each specimen is 

 carefully labelled. 



In the Indian Court may be specially noticed the very 

 valuable series of maps and diagrams executed by the 

 Forest Survey Department under Major Bailey, R.E.. who 



has himself arranged them in an instructive manner. 

 The excellence of these topographical surveys can 

 scarcely be overrated in connection with the demarcation 

 and management of the reserved forests divided into 

 blocks or compartments, and in the case of boundary 

 disputes their value is undeniable. For students of 

 forestry this is a most important feature of the Exhi- 

 bition, and shows the silent progress of the great work 

 which has been carried on by Dr. Brandon and his 

 assistants during the past twenty-five years. 



The only other country which exhibits maps showing in 

 detail the general distribution of forests is Denmark. 

 There are three sheets displaying the occurrence of the 

 forests of conifers and of broad-leaved trees, also the ex- 

 tent of newly-planted areas and the geological formations 

 on which they grow. There are also maps of the forest 

 district of Kronborg which resemble those made in 

 Germany, and are very neatly executed. 



It would have been very desirable that sets of these 

 illustrative maps had been furnished as far as possible by 

 various Governments to assist in determining the rates of 

 growth of indigenous trees in different countries. For 

 instance these diagrams give the mean height from 20 

 to 1 20 years, and show that in Germany the height of 

 beech and spruce is greater than in Denmark ; but the 

 average diameter of the latter exceeds that of the 

 former. 



In the Indian collection an interesting contribution 

 from Col. Yule has found a temporary resting place. 

 Marco I'olo, who tells us of the existence of the roc, a bird 

 of wonderful dimensions, further tells how the feather or 

 quill of the roc was brought back by envoys to Madagas- 

 car or East Africa, and presented to the Great Khan. 

 Col. Yule and Sir John Kirk seem now to have brought 

 to light the true roc's quill in the frond of the leaf of the 

 Raphia palm, which is largely used on the coast near 

 Zanzibar for making stages, ladders, rafters, and doors. 

 The hard ligneous frond, stripped of its leaflets, some- 

 what resembles a stripped feather ; the largest is twenty- 

 five feet four inches long, and twelve inches in girth at 

 the base. 



TECHNICAL SCHOOL EDUCATION AT THE 

 HEALTH EXHIBITION 1 



T N last week's issue some account was given of the 

 -!■ appliances, methods, and results of primary school 

 education to be seen at the Health Exhibition, and we 

 ventured to express the hope that this remarkable and 

 probably unprecedented collection would be carefully in- 

 spected by as many as possible of our schoolmasters and 

 mistresses, as well as by school managers and others. In 

 the present article it is proposed to deal similarly with 

 technical handicrafts and science teaching as practised 

 not merely in England, but in those foreign countries and 

 organisations which, as previously stated, have brought 

 together such excellent collective exhibits. 



The increased attention now being devoted to the whole 

 subject of infant training, and the enlarged sympathy and 

 interest with which the best modern teachers are studying 

 the methods of Frobel (some of the developments of 

 which are at the basis of all so-called technical training), 

 have justified the appropriation of a considerable space 

 to illustrations of the Kindergarten system. The British 

 and Foreign School Society have devoted the whole of 

 the room at their disposal to this purpose, in order to make 

 the display as complete as possible, and here will be found 

 a practical answer to those who allege that " Kindergarten 

 work is all play," for the manner in which it leads up to 

 various trades is distinctly shown. In the Belgian Court 

 there is also a very complete and effective Kindergarten 

 exhibit, though it contains nothing specially new, and the 

 1 Continued from r. 220 



