PARIS EXHIBITION.

Otago Witness, Issue 1970, 22 August 1889, Page 17

PARIS EXHIBITION.

(Argus Correspondent.) London, July 4. Four different juries visited the Victorian ajid New Zealand Courts lJ in the Industries Gallery; on June 29, and at the same time tjjp v?ine jury was busy at the kiosque in the Tro? .cadero Park. The first jury to appear was the one which examines and awards upon minerals The Victorian Court was very soon disposed of, as the minerals exhibited therein are very few. the real Victorian mineral exhibition being down 'in the annexe on the Quai d'Orsay. The jurors were much struck with the' richness of the alluvial gold shown by Victoria, and spoke of the toodels of tbe nuggets as unique. | Passing }nto the New Zealand court they were received by Mr Malfroy, and at once commented favourably on the manner in which the mineral specimens wero displayed. One of the jurors said, •> We are disposed to be I vpry critical, ss we have just come from the j Brazilian court." In this court, it may be explained, some exceedingly interesting specimens of auriferous quartz and alluvial gold are shown. These are in a way more attractive than the New Zealand specimens, which to ths j nbn-technical eye represent nothing beyond so njany stones, good at best for road metal. In many of the Brazilian specimens the gold is visible. Besides this, the figures quoted as to the yield of gold from the various Brazilian ores are very much more impressive than' those attached to even the best New -Zealand ppecimeus. Such, for instance, is the quartz from the lode in the llaguire mine, which yields 1720z of gold per t^n. This lode passes through a mineral composite, which has the appearance of tan, and which yields 640z of gold per ton. The specimens of alluvial gold from tho Varcis and Jequitinhonha rivers, the former resembling iv richness of colour the Californian gald, the latter being pale like Australian gold, also add t6 the attractiveness of the Brazilian mineral i exhibits. i ; The jurors, however, manifested considerable I interest in the Nev Zealand exhibits, examining j ekch case with scrupulous carefulness. In the end they allowed it to be understood that an award might be expecied. ; Shortly after they had taken their departure, the jurors on the photograph jury entered the Victorian court, whero certainly the finest collection of photographic views to be seen anywhere in the exhibition is displayed. They appeared to bo very much pleased, and made long halts before the more iaterestiug specimens. They were fully five minutes admiring the "giant trees" of Victoria though whether from an interest in the subject or from an appreciation of the reproductions cannot be said. Johnstone and O'Sbanna&y's work was pronounced first clasß. The appreciation of the jurors of this part of the Australian exhibition was shown by the fact that after their official inspection was over many of them returned to the court and spent several minutes in going over it again for their private delectation. The jurors on iurs and feathers next appeared, and with these, again the Victorians scored a succpss. Tho wool jury only made a short visit on Saturday, the 29th ult , to take a general view of the colonial exhibits. One cf them said, "This is tha best thing we have seen in the exhibition." To which, another replied, "Come, we bave seen wonders iv the Argeritne court." The wool jurors returned on Tuesday morning, and were sbown tho Victorian exhibits. They did their work very scrupulously, handling dozens of specimens, and asking numerous questions. They were, much dissatisfied with the absence of inform&Hon as to the number of sheep , owned by each exhibitor, because, as one juror remarked, the award depends greatly on tbia detail, M A grower

with a large number of sbeep on his fcun," he explained, " gets far more credit for good wool than a man with only a few sheep, because the latter can give more attention to his wool." It really seems a pity that the Victorian representatives were not supplied with the means of giving such information, because exhibition juries are so much influenced by what is told them about each exhibitor. The jurors described the Victorian exhibit as exceedingly fine, and specially praised the specimens grown by Mr Russell, Mr Simeon, and Sir Samuel Wilson. One or two of them, however, seemed to think that a finer show had been made by the Argentine Republic. Fortunately for New Zealand exhibitors, Mr Malfroy was able to supply all information required about each one of them. He had chanced to bring away an official. report on the importance of the wool-growing industry in the colony, and. this contained a full account of the number of sheep on each. run. The manner in which the New Zealand fleeces are displayed — that is to say, each fleece separately — was highly approved of by the jurors. The various exhibits were very carefully examined, and particular praise was awarded to a Lincoln ewe and hogget fleece, grown by Mr J. N. Williams, of Hawke's Bay, New Zealand; as also to a Lincoln ewe fleece shown by the New Zealand Farmers' Association, weighing 171b. The jurors went at this exhibit first of all, and, after handling it, said " This is promising." They asked whether the association was te be treated as one exhibitor, or whether the different growers were to be considered as individuals. They were told that the association was to be treated as a single exhibitor. A purebred Lincoln fleece shown by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce was found coarse, and in reference to this the jurors said that they thought that purebred Lincolns did not turn out successful away from their native pastures. ** We are very much pleased," said the jurors, and one added, " But we know New Zealand wools of old. I was one of the jury who in 1878 awarded them a prize." On Wednesday morning the jurors visited the courts on the Quai d'Orsay, and examined the collective exhibit of Goldsbrough, Mort, and Co., in the Victorian section, and the small specimens of washed wools shown in the New Zealand court. Their opinion on the colonial wool shown appears to be a very favourable one.