138 A PROPOSAL FOR VOLUNTARY CLASSIFICATION OF 



The lichens, known or described under the names Ashneh, Ratti- 

 nura, Ratti-pu, Chulcheleera, and Jetamashee, appear to be identical, 

 and the chief species constituting the mixture is apparently Parmelia 



Kamtschadalis. 



A PROPOSAL FOR VOLUNTARY CLASSIFICATION OF MANU- 

 FACTURED AND UNMANUFACTURED PRODUCTIONS. 



The superabundance of all kinds of manufactured and unmanufactured 

 products, which has of late years prevailed in almost every European 

 market, renders it of the utmost importance that some remedy should be 

 applied to check a system, which becomes alike prejudicial to the producer 

 and to the consumer, and the most effectual remedy that presents itself to 

 our mind is that of improvement in every class of manufacture. 



The Great Exhibition of 1851 was in itself a great step in that direction ; 

 but, unfortunately, only a temporary one, and one may reasonably doubt 

 whether a second Exhibition of all Nations will be ever so successful in 

 that respect. It has, therefore, occurred to us that the object in view — 

 viz., that of an universal improvement in all classes of goods — might be 

 obtained by interesting importers, manufacturers, and salesmen to unite in a 

 general system of classifying all goods that may be brought into the market. 



This system of classification has been followed during many centuries in 

 almost every civilised country of the world, its purpose being to divide the 

 goods into several distinct classes, to obtain more remunerative rates for 

 those coming under the category of " first class," thereby enabling manu- 

 facturers and dealers to sell inferior qualities of the same article, classed as 

 " second," " third," &c, at lower rates. 



This classification of goods has already been adopted in many manufac- 

 tories and markets, and in some places they are regulated by the autho- 

 rities of the towns or countries in which such markets or manufacturies may 

 be established; and if such classification were regulated by competent juries, 

 selected by the manufacturers themselves, and confirmed by higher autho- 

 rity, it would undoubtedly have the effect of causing a general striving after 

 amelioration in all productions ; in fact, a similar result to that obtained by 

 cattle, horticultural, and other exhibitions, where the manufacturer and 

 salesman gain an opportunity of notoriously proving (upon official evidence) 

 such or such an article to be of really " first rate " quality, whereby he is 

 enabled to obtain a much higher price than he could without such evidence. 



The mode of classifying goods hitherto adopted by manufacturers has 

 been to mark and stamp their productions with their own trade mark ; 

 which experience has, however, shown does not protect them from imita- 

 tion and counterfeiture ; whereas, if those marks were placed under legal 

 control, in the same manner as those used to classify jewellery, gold, silver, 

 &c, they would be both a proof of the superiority of the articles, and a 

 protection to the manufacturer, as it would then become a punishable 



