THE LANDSWOMAN
December, 1918
Federation of Women's Institutes
(ESTABLISHED IN CONJUNCTION WITH T H E WOMEN'S BRANCH, BOARD OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES,)
Tbe Women's Institutes Exhibition
•rHE Women's Institutes Exhibition which 'has just been held
at Caxton Hall, from October 25th to 29th, has been a very
striking proof of the success of the movement.
The Queen and Princess 1\Iary visited the Exhibition on
Saturday the 26th and purchased many articles from different
stalls. Her Majesty's kindly sympathy made a deep impression
on Institute members. Her gracious words of interest in the
movement, representative of so many countrr. people, will be
re]l<'ated at Institute meetings in hundreds of villages.
Miss Alice Williams, the Honorary Secretary of the National
Federation of Women's Institutes, organised the Exhibition with
the idea that it would afford a meeting place for Institute members
and give the country women an opportunity of showing the
work they could do in food production and handicrafts. The
Exhibition did all this and much more besides. There was a
delightful gathering of country women ready to enjoy and profit
by every item of interest on the programme.
Prizes were offered for different classes of cheese, butter, eggs,
fresh vegetables and fruits, bread, cakes, jam, honey, pickles,
bottled and dried fruits and vegetables, dried herbs, starch made
from diseased potatoes, baskets, toys, labour-saving devices,
articles made from waste, home-dyed garments, home-cured
rabbit or mole skins, lace, needlework, knitted goods, essays on
"Our Institute," "How to Plan the Work of a Six-Roomed
Cottage for a Week," designs for original toys, stencil work,
plan of a six-roomed cottage, best way of laying out a garden ,
etc. There was keen competition in the different classes. The
quality of the cheese was excellent, and, according to the judge,
showed that as a result of the establishment of Institutes cheese
had been produced in districts which hitherto had not made this
valuable food.
JOO
Th ere were special exhibits and demonstrations from the Food
Production Department of canned, bottled, and dried fruit an(;
vegetables, which were in charge of t he Department's Chief
In•tructor, Mrs. R. Candy, and were much appreciated.
The Royal Horticultural Society's Food Production Exhibit
was of a very comprehensive and instructi>e nature. It was
in charge of the Society's Special R epresentati>e, Mr. W. Stewart,
N.D.Hort., who was in attendance dail y to answer all inquiries
on subject• of Food Production in the Garden.
The stalls represented 36 different counties, and a varied
assortment of articles was to be found on each. Prizes were
taken in the different classes by Institutes from Bedfordshire,
Brecon, Berkshire, Bucks, Cambridgeshire, Cornwall, Derbyshire,
Dorsetshire, Co. Durham, Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire,
Hertfordshire, Kent, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk,
Northumberland, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, counties
represented by the North Wales Union, Oxfordshire, Shropshire ,
Somerset, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex, Staffordshire, Warwickshire,
Wiltshire, Worcestershire. The prizes were pre;ented by the
Lady Denman, whose work for the mo..-ement dnring the pa$t
year has been rewarded by the increase in the number of the
Institutes and by the increased activity of the older Institutes.
Banners were presented to the counties receiving the largest
number of awards under selected classes.
When the Queen visited the Exhibition she was attended on
her tour of inspection by representatives oi the winning counties
with their banners. · The banners were made of red silk inscribed
in gold, and added an attractive colour scheme ro the procession.
A brisk sale of goods was reported by thOEe in charge of the
stalls, and no doubt the money resulting will be received with
gratitude by the makers of the goods. The educational benefits,
direct and indirect, are of far greater importance.
On the opening day of the Exhi bition · he Rt. H on . Rowland