186 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Avea., 1901. . 
In one of the sections —Warwick—a pot of strawberry plants was placed 
non-competitive. Mr. A. H. Benson was asked his opinion about this exhibit 
He said it was not grown in Warwick. Taking a leaf, he said that there wa\ _- 
only one district in Queensland (North Pine) which produced this strawberry, 
It was then explained that the plant in question had been sent by somebody aj 
the North Pine to a friend in Warwick who had handed it to Mr. Selke to by 
used as an ornament to the section. 
Taking the district and College exhibits as a whole, they most effectually 
demonstrated the resources of the country, and it is only to be regretted that 
Bundaberg and Maryborough, the Central and Northern districts, did not ente\ — 
for what may be characterised as the blue ribbon of Queensland agriculture. 
STEWARDS AT SHOWS. 
Mr. W. R. Robinson struck the right note when, at the late Agricultural 
Conference at Bundaberg, he spoke about the value of efficient stewards in 
charge of exhibits at shows. It too often happens that men accept the position — 
of steward without the remotest idea of the duties it entails. The consequences 
is that exhibits get into their wrong classes, prize tickets are either not attached 
to the exhibits they are intended for, and, as we have seen on more than oné 
occasion, many exhibits are at the time of judging found to be without the 
catalogue numbers. Another evil is, that some stewards appear to think that, — 
as soon as the exhibits are safely stalled or penned and duly numbered, there i8 
nothing more to be done, and they leave their section in charge of the carey 
taker, who, as a rule, knows nothing whatever about the exhibits, and can supply 
no information which visitors or intending buyers (in the case of stock o 
implements) seek for. 
More especially are the services of the stewards needed when the judges 
begin their work. Mistakes have often been made, as we have said, m 
numbering an exhibit. Itis in its wrong class, and although it may be of 
exceptional merit, yet owing to wrong classification by the stewards it is passed 
over without notice. This is a great injustice to the exhibitor, who may not be 
on the spot to see that no mistake is made in classification. It often happens, 
especially in the case of poultry, that an exhibit arrives in the absence of the 
stewards. The caretaker. receives it amongst a host of others, and by and by 
discovers a coop with neither name nor address on it. ‘* What shall we do with 
this ?” heasks. Their being no one to supply the answer, he claps it into a 
spare pen, where it is overlooked and eventually unjudged. The presence of 
the stewards is also most necessary when the show is over and exhibits are 
being removed. It is then their duty to see that the rightful owners take them 
away, and, previously to this, that the prize cards have been correctly attached 
to the winning exhibits. 
Stewards are practically responsible to the management of an exhibition 
for the safekeeping of the exhibits they have undertaken to take charge of, 
and it is obviously to their own interest that they should be always in toue 
with the attendants, and that they should see that no exhibit is remoy' 
without a receipt being given for it, and, further, that no exhibit be allowed to 
pass out without an order singed by one of themselves. 
Much of the work of the judges depends upon the care given by the 
stewards to the disposal of exhibits and to the arrangements made for the 
convenience of the judges. These arrangements are left entirely in the hands 
of the stewards, and, if they fail to carry them out in such a way as to facilitate 
judging and observing, they are neglecting a duty for which they are obviously 
unfit, and which they should never have undertaken. 
