H.—l7

22

Honey.

The market for New Zealand honey in this country has not yet been properly tested. Until regular shipments of high-class quality can be placed on the markets here through some special agent, who, relying upon getting these shipments, can be encouraged to take an interest in them and work up a special trade on behalf of his New Zealand clients, best results need not be, expected by farmers in the colony. Hitherto only occasional trial shipments of New Zealand honey have been made. These, while being principally of excellent quality, have, owing to the irregularity and uncertainty of arrival, not been looked upon by honey-buyers as of any great moment. They have merely been purchased, as any other odd parcels usually are, by buyers who take them into their common stock of honey as speculative purchases. Seal-skins. During the year a small consignment of seal-skins was received from the Marine Department at Wellington, which was sold at auction under my supervision. Colonial Exhibition, Crystal Palace. During the year the Colonial and Indian Exhibition was held at the Crystal Palace. Opening early in May, this was continued for eighteen weeks, closing in September. An excellent site near the centre of the Palace, and close to the principal road and railway entrances, was secured for the New Zealand Court. Selections of the colony's leading products were received from Wellington, and these, added to goods in hand from the previous Liverpool Exhibition and others obtained from the Imperial Institute, enabled a good representative display to be made. A novel feature, which attracted a great deal of notice, consisted in the one-ton cheese manufactured at the Wyndham Dairy Factory in Southland. In conjunction with the Christchurch Meat Company (Limited) and the Linde British Refrigerating Company, a good display of New Zealand frozen meat, poultry, butter, &c, was made in a large glassfronted refrigerating chamber. This exhibit, with its running machinery, proved a great attraction and advertisement. For the New Zealand Court a special stand was constructed, carved in Maori design. Being unlike the usual style of exhibition stand, it caught the public eye, and proved effective generally. The stand was constructed in sections, easily taken down or put together either in whole or part, and is thus available permanently for any exhibitions in which New Zealand may desire to participate. Photographs of the various sections of the Court were forwarded to Wellington at the time, and were reproduced in the last annual report of the Department of Industries and Commerce. The attendance of the public at the Crystal Palace during the run of the Exhibition totalled nearly one and a quarter million. Being the summer season, a large number of important and popular functions took place at the Palace, bringing people of every class from all parts of the country into contact with the Exhibition, not to mention the immense holiday concourses. It is pleasing to record that the New Zealand exhibits were very successful in the matter of awards for merit. Those secured comprised thirteen grand prizes, thirty-two gold medals, five silver medals, and one bronze medal. They were as follows : —Grand prizes : New Zealand Government —for completeness and excellence of general exhibit; trophy representing NW Zealand dairy industry ; butter, cheese ; fleece wool; grain in sheaf ; hops : Christchurch Meat Company (Limited) —for frozen meat; slipe wool : G. G. Stead —for grain ; peas : J. T. Griffin —for peas : Mosgiel Woollen Factory Company (Limited) —for woollen goods. Gold medals : New Zealand Government—for hemp ; timbers ; photographs ; sport exhibits ; agricultural and other publications : ironsand, and articles manufactured from same : G. G. Stead —for grass-seed ; clovers ; vegetable-seeds ; forestry seeds : J. and T. Meek ■ —for flour ; oatmeal ; bran : J. T. Griffin —for barley ; clover : Christchurch Meat Company (Limited) —for preserved meats, &c. ; tallow, oleo, oils, &c : Gear Meat Company (Limited) —for slipe wool ; tallow : Dalgetty and Company (Limited) —for scoured merino wool : Wellington Woollen Company (Limited) —for woollen goods : Underwood Milk Supply Company (Limited) —for condensed milk : E. Mitchelson and Co. —for kauri gum : Donaghy and Co.—for rope, cordage, binding-twine, &c. : Auckland Veneer and Timber Company (Limited) —for ornamental cabinet, door, and veneers: Frank Hyams (Limited) —for greenstone jewellery : May-Oatway Syndicate (Limited) —for "Safety" combined house-bell and fire-alarm : Alfred Osborne —for inlaid table-tops : Michaelis, Hallenstein, and Farquhar (Limited) —for leather: Westport Coal Company (Limited) —for coal: Ewing Phosphate Company (Limited) —for phosphate (rock and ground) : Dr. R. S. Reid—for automatic burglar-proof window-sash block. Silver medals : Gear Meat Company (Limited) —for preserved meats, &c. : S. Kirkpatrick and Co. —for preserved fruits, jams, &c. : J. T. Griffin —for beans : New Zealand Canning Company —for tinned fish : G. E. Butler —for oil paintings : Thompson and Co. —for mineral waters. The New Zealand Court was in the special charge of Mr. Hooper. Numerous inquiries were received concerning the colony and its products from traders, consumers, would-be emigrants or tourists, and visitors generally. It is safe to say that the interests of New Zealand in all these departments were materially advanced through the medium of the Exhibition. Liverpool Colonial Exhibition. Although not so representative of the chief colonies as that of the previous year, neither Canada, South Africa, nor any of the Australian States taking part in it, the Colonial Products Exhibition at Liverpool this year may be generally reported upon as a success. The attendance of the public was good, being about double that at the previous Exhibition. The Colonial Governments represented were