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NOTES ON THE PERMANENT EXHIBITION OF ALGERIAN 

 AND OTHER FRENCH COLONIAL PRODUCTS IN PARIS. 



BY EUGENE EIMMEL. 



The Palace of Industry, built in Paris in 1855, for the Great Inter- 

 national Exhibition, has since been appropriated to cattle shows, flower 

 shows, and various occasional artistical and industrial exhibitions. A very 

 interesting collection of French colonial produce is now on view in one of 

 the galleries, and is announced to be a permanent exhibition. For this 

 measure the French Government deserves to be commended, for by that 

 means the manufacturing consumer will be made aware of many natural 

 riches which he may turn to good account, and the producer abroad will 

 be enabled to find a readier market for the results of his labour. 



In the first rank stands, naturally, Algeria ; and the beautiful and varied 

 products of that colony show what resources may be derived from that 

 fruitful soil, by proper management and increased colonisation. They com- 

 prise breadstufFs, cotton, wool, silk, flax, hemp, textile fibres of various 

 sorts, woods for building purposes and for cabinet work, wines, oils, fruits, 

 tobacco, dye-stuffs, spices and essences, metals, marbles, and many other 

 articles of less importance. 



To commence with corn : the quality exhibited, and the quantity produced, 

 bid fair to render Algeria, in a short time, the granary of France, as it was 

 once that of the Romans. The exportation of corn to France, three years 

 ago, reached two million hectolitres, and it will probably increase every 

 year. Algerian corn contains more than an average proportion of gluten, 

 which makes it very nutritious, and renders it particularly available 

 for the manufacture of Italian pastes, a great quantity of which is consumed 

 in France and the South of Europe. Several manufactories of that article 

 have been already established in Algeria, and one of them, belonging to Mr. 

 Lavie, of Constantine, has carried off a large gold medal for the quality of 

 the pastes exhibited. 



Cotton is a newbranch of industry in Algeria, and, if we may judge by the 

 specimens exhibited, will probably become very successful. These samples 

 differ much in quality, varying from the commonest to the finest ; but the most 

 likely to prove remunerative is the Georgian long-staple, of which a very 

 fine specimen is exhibited by M. Ferre, of St. Denis du Sig, who obtained a 

 large gold medal for it. It appears that of that particular sort alone there 

 is an annual excess of demand over the quantity usually produced by the 

 United States of about two million kilogrammes. This deficiency in the 

 supply cannot but increase every year with the consumption ; whilst the 

 production, which has hitherto been confined to Sea Island, cannot be ex- 

 tended much beyond its present limits. It will, therefore, well repay specu- 

 lators to undertake this cultivation, in a climate so well adapted for it. The 



