54

PULSES AND CATTLE FOOD—GLASSES, FODDER, PLANTS.

[Claps II .

America, and most abundantly in Central Asia and theHimalayah; in the latter country the different varietiesare grown at various elevations, between 4,000 and12,000 feet. The finest samples exhibited are fromCanada , by E. Trenholme (52, p. 962); they are de-serving of especial notice, and Honourable Mention. TheUnited States, Russia, and Belgium , also exhibit smallsamples of good qualities.

Millets , again, are tropical or sub-tropical crops: inIndia they hold a second rank to rice alone ; and inEgypt , perhaps, surpass all other crops in importance.In West Africa they are the staff’of life. The Egyptian samples are the finest, and those numbered 90, 91, and92, p. 1409, exhibited by II.II. Ilham Pasha, are de-serving of Honourable Mention: they belong to I [ulcussorghum and IT. s iccharatum, and are known to Europeans as “ petit mais.”

From India various samples are shown of the differentspecies of Pauicum, but not labelled in the mauner suchan instructive collection should be.

Ceylon exhibits millet of fair quality.

The red and white millets of Austria, Russia , and theUnited States are beautiful, particularly the Russian samples (60, p. 1368), exhibited by Lieut.-Gen. Ershoff,of Pauicum Italicum and militiceum , to which a PrizeMedal is awarded.

Turkey abounds in small grains, and exhibits a largevariety of them; but the samples are insufficient anddirty.

A. IV.— Pulses and Cattle Food.

Under this head the Jury have included all leguminousseeds, whether cultivated as food for man or cattle.

The importance of peas and beans is well appreciated,both by the horticulturists and agriculturists in Europe ,and our temperate colonies, where, however, they arecomparatively of less importance, than the smaller pulsesand grains are in various tropical countries,—such asharicots in the Brazils and West Indies, —ground orearth-nuts in South America, and especially in WesternAfrica, —beans of various kinds amongst the miners ofPeru, —gram ( Ervum lens) and dhal (Cajanus), withinnumerable varieties of beans anu small lentils, amongthe natives of India and Egypt, —and the Carol) bean orSt. John’s bread ( Ceratonia siliqua ) in the Mediterraneancountries. The above are all more or less copiouslyrepresented in the Exhibition by the countries named.

In the British Department. Lawson’s great collectionstands pre-eminent for extent and scientific value; andthere is also a large one of agricultural produce fromMessrs. Gibbs. H.R.II. Prince Albert’s “Augustahorse-beans,” are magnificent, and have been awarded aPrize Medal as part of the collection of agricultural pro-duce alluded to under A. I. W. P. Croughtox’s goldenpod beans (92, p. 1206) are worthy of Honourable Men-tion. Rayxbird’s tick beaus and those of Strange aregood; as are also Fordham’s prolific peas.

Canada sends peas, beaus, aud haricots, all of excellentdescriptions: aud no less remarkable for quality andcolour than for cheapness. The blue imperial peas sentby D. Jones (41, p. 962) would command the highestprice in any English market: they have been awarded aPrize Medal, and a like award is given to D. Limoges(40, p. 962), for his fine sample of white peas.

Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Tunis , andEgypt exhibit, each, beans, peas, haricots, pulses, andlegumes of all descriptions, but none except the Egyptian beaus are worthy of especial notice,

Russia , besides many of these, exhibits green sugar-peas fdried unripe); those exhibited by Khokholkoffand Gregorjeff (6-1, p. 1368) are worthy of HonourableMention tor their excellent flavour and sweetness.

A. V.— Grasses, Fodder, Plants, and AgriculturalRoots.

Of these, including clover-seeds, &c., there are butfew specimens beyond those in the collections of Messrs.Lawson and Messrs. Ginns. The splendid specimen oftussack grass from the Falkland Islands , exhibited by

Messrs. Lawson, and in full flower, deserves especialnotice.

Canada and the United States exhibit clover-seedsand timothy grass. Of these the timothy-grass seed(61, p. 93) of T. McGinn, Montreal , and the clover-seed(62, p. 93) of G. Jeffries, are worthy of HonourableMention.

Of agricultural roots there are none worthy of mention,except the Portuguese Cyperus esculent us of the Marquisde Loulek (401 b) be included, which is worthy ofHonourable Mention.

Belgium contributes bay of fair quality. Egypt ex-hibits samples of clover-seed, and Tunis of hay-seed.

A. VI. —Flours , and Preparations of the aboveClasses.

Under this comprehensive head, the Jury have con-sidered, not only Hours properly so called, but variousbiscuits and semolines, as also pates, macaronis, vermi-cellis, and other manufactured articles referred to them.It is difficult, iu many cases, to determine, satisfac-torily, which belong to this, and which to the starchseries (F).

There are but few English wheat-flours exhibited; andthe general remarks made under the head of “eerealia”are equally applicable here;—except that the UnitedStates contributions of wheat-flours are really magni-ficent. Pea and bean flours, and sundry alimentary sub-stances prepared therefrom, find a place here.

1. Great Britain . —Amongst the various, but far: from extensive, series of Hours from this country, Prize

Medals have been awarded to— Kidd and Podgkk, Isle-worth Mills, for Australian wheat-flour (150, p. 193*).Edward Chitty, of Guildford, for flour of English white wheat ( 159. p. 193*). And to Buck and Son, ofBradford (162, p. 193*), for oatmeal-flour.

Honourable Mention for particular excellence is alsomade of the following: —

\V. Juson, Shropshire (95, p. 206), for wheat-flour.J. M‘Cann, Drogheda (153, p. 193*), for oatmeal.

Ashley’s flours of peas, groats, and pearl barley, exlii-i bited by T. Styles (157, p. 193*), put up for longvoyages, are sound and useful preparations. Inferiormacaronis of English manufacture are exhibited by W.Levy ( 120 , p. 207), and by J. P. Gentile (108, p. 206),together with glutens and other alimentary substances.A very fine collection of gluten preparations, chiefly ofscientific interest, is exhibited by Madame St. Etienne(138, p. 208), who exhibits, also, some curious dried ali-mentary substances, composed partly of flour and partlyof meat. Bullock’s semola appears to be wheat-flourgranulated with gluten. The rice gluten of OrlandoJones (128, p. 208) is obtained from rice-flour used forthe manufacture of starch, dissolved by caustic soda, andthen precipitated by an acid. Reckit and Son, of Hull,exhibit various starches and sagos (125, p. 208), allapparently derived from potato-flour. D. and W.Miller’s pithina food, sago-flour, and Scotch feculaseem all referable principally to the same source.

Amongst the curiosities worthy of notice is the Typha meal prepared from the rhizoma of T. latifolia, byM. M'Callum, of Leith (133, p. 208).

2. Canada . —Various barrels of excellent flour areexhibited, and also of biscuits; Prize Medals have beenawarded to—J. Simpson and Co. (48, p. 9621 , for wheat-flour; E. Squair (51, p. 962), for oatmeal-flour; J.Robb (12G\ for biscuits.

The buckwheat-flour exhibited by E. Trenholme (52,p. 962) is also very good, and deserves HonourableMention.

4. Cape of Good Hope . —A sack of very fine flourfrom this colony merits Honourable Mention; it is fromJ. F. Frederickses*.

5. Australasia. —After what has been said of theeerealia of Port Adelaide, it is not surprising that theflours should prove of equal excellence, as is especially

. the case with those exhibited by H. E. and M. Moses (4,p. 997), to whom Honourable Mention is awarded. Vani Diemen’s Land contributes some barrels of excellentwheat flours; one of these from J. Walker (51, p. 993),