144 BEVTEW3 — AGRICULTURE OF THE FEEXCH EXHIBITION. 



improvement in quality since 1851. The advanced state of the flax cultivation in 

 France, Holland, Belgium, and Austria, was well represented ; from each country 

 an extensive series of samples of various qualities, and in the different stages of 

 preparation, was sent. The tobacco specimens, I was informed, were of extraordi- 

 nary quality, in many cases, I am sorry to say, superior to the samples of grain of 

 the exhibiting country. Those most commended were contributed by Algeria, 

 France, Austria, Baden, Spain, and Portugal. From Greece a small collection of 

 grain was sent, as also a pot of honey from Mount Hymettus, which the umpires, 

 still faithful to the traditions of the poets, pronounced to be the best in the Exhi- 

 bition." 



British agricultural produce was confined to one collection, exhibit- 

 ed by the British Government, and entrusted to the care of Professor 

 Wilson, "who manifested no ordinary amount of taste and skill in 

 procuring and arranging the several articles, which excited much 

 praise and admiration, both from the visitors and the press. The 

 official Hand-book has the following remarks : 



" Vegetable productions occupied a large space in the contributions from the 

 English Colonies. Their prodigious variety, their relations with manufacturing 

 industry, and with the alimentation of the country, assigned to them naturally a 

 prominent position in the Exposition of 1855. But we were not prepared to see 

 the agricultural produce of England represented with such eclat. Whilst the con- 

 tributions from the Indies struck U3 by their variety, which, so to say, prevented 

 all methodical classification ; those from England were arranged in admirable order, 

 and thus enabled us to appreciate at a single glance the results of that high cultivation 

 which the necessity for a large production has forced upon this great nation. The 

 cereals, leguminous and forage plants, and the indigenous timber woods, were 

 represented by specimens in their natural state ; the roots and cultivated fruits 

 were represented by wax models; the domesticated animals by carefully painted 

 portraits. This collection, in its ensemble, does the greatest honor to those who 

 made it ; our only regret is that the place assigned to it in the Annexe was some- 

 what removed from the great lines of circulation." 



The cereals of Canada occupied a high position, and our wheat was 

 among the best produced by any country. The native woods of this 

 country, which were sent over in large sections, in like manner 

 attracted much notice, inasmuch as most of them possess a high 

 economic value. On this subject the Professor remarks : 



" Thus far I have only touched upon the produce of cultivated crops, and 

 these have for the most part been the food substances of Europe. Of these even 

 some fine specimens were sent from our own Colonies, but their strength and im- 

 portance were displayed in the admirable collection of the produce of special crops, 

 or of those obtained without any cultivation at all. First and foremost of these, in 

 number and beauty of specimens, if not in actual importance, must be classed the 

 woods used for construction and for ornamental purposes. In these the English 

 colonies of Canada, Guiana, Jamaica, and Australia, were without any rivals. The 

 gigantic dimensions of the soft timber of Canada were only equalled by the strength 

 of fibre and beauty of grain of the hard woods of lower latitudes. Each specimen in 

 these large collections was correctly named, and formed an object of study for the 



