THE AGRICULTURAL AND OTHER PRODUCE OF THE COLONIES.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1593, 28 March 1879, Page 3

THE AGRICULTURAL AND OTHER PRODUCE OF THE COLONIES.

The first meeting of the winter session of the Royal Colonial Institute was held recently, w'-en Mr Frederick Young read a paper on “ England and her Colonies at the Paris Bxh bition.” In the course of bis remarks, he said that Canada was above all an agricultural country, and she showed at Paris a most interesting collection of cereals and other alimentary materials. Some of the fish exhibited were of remarkable size. When we consider that, in addition to her magnificent lakes and rivers, Canada possesses a coast line of some 3000 miles, it was not surprising that fish should be plentiful, and that the fishery trade should form snch an important branch of the industry of the domn ion. Many people in England might be surprised to learn that those fisheries gave employment to 200,' 00 men, 1600 ships, and 17,000 smacks, manned by 7000 sailors and 26,000 fishermen. The importance of the fisheries was growing everv year. In 1879 they were valued at £1320,' 00, and in 1874 at 52,240,000. The show of agricultural implements in the Canadian court was most striking. Many handsome samples of the valuable timber grown in the favoured colony of New South Wales were exhibited, together with an admirable collection of grain, fruits, and other agricultural produce. But her greatest glory had been in her wool. The hundred specimens in the New South Wales court attracted immense attention ; and it was no wonder, for we were told that within ten years the number of sheep had increased tenfold. Last year they exceeded 24 500,000. The export of wool, live stock, hides, &a., together amounted at the present time to more than £7,000,000 sterling per annum. The specimens of nat ve woods, shrubs, plants, timber, and other trees, and vege'ables, shown by Mr W. R. Guilfoyle, director nf the Botanical Hardens of Victoria, strikingly exhibit her native vegetable productions. Wool was also well represented by an admirable collection of the choicest specimens produced in the colony. There was a large collection of cereals, (lour, and other agricultural produce. In Paris S uth Australia made a splendid show. With only about 237,000 inhabitants, she had 1,500,000 acres under cultivation and 6 000,000 sheep, and sire exposed nearly £5,000000 sterling worth of produce annual’y. Her groat staples were wheat and wit e, and in the former she was ready to challenge the world. Her 64!b wheat exhibited was a splendid sample of that gram. At present she had mor- than 1,000,000 acres under wheat. The export of whea‘ and Hour this year was 200,000 tons. Her wheat fetched the highest price in the world, and moat of it camo to thus old

homo of Great. Britain. The show ot wool was very choice, principally merino, and there were some pure Angora goat skins fit- for rugs of great, beauty. Those were worth from £$ to each, and wore from animals bred in Sou h Australia from Asia Mir,or stock. There was also an interesting codec tt-on of leather, rugs, rants, muffs, &c., made from the kangaroo, wallaby, and other native skins, as well as a great- variety of silvermounted emeus’ eggs. Another of her most noticeable exhibits were specimens of the production of the silkworm. Western Australia exhibited cocoons and thrown silk, and her show of timber and ornamental woods was very extensive. The Straits Settlements exhibited sixty-seven specimens of the wood of , Penang, and some birds skins of rare brilliancy. The native woods of Ceylon, in the shape of furniture, were well represented, as well as her famous productions — rice, cinnamon, coffee, tobacco, &o. The Cape of Good Hope had a collection of silk, in cocoon and thrown, a series of specimens of timber and other woods from the Crown Forests, and samples of ostrich feathers, wool, and mohair from the Angora goat. A brief reference having been also made to the productions of the Transvaal, the West Indies, and India, Mr Young concluded by giving a tabular statement to show the great progress made in the trade of the colonies as compared with the foreign trade. After the president (the Duke of Manchester), Mr E, W. Blyden (Minister Plenipotentiary of Liberia), Sir Henry Barkley (late Governor of the Cap -), Mr Arthur Hodgson (Queensland), and others, had discussed the subject, a vote of thanks to the reader of the paper was passed.