149 



diseases, and pests to which the various cultures of the country are 

 liable. We regret that so far G )vernment has not appointed an 

 Analyst or Chemist, an appointment recommended by the deputa- 

 tion which met His Excellency the High Commissioner when first 

 he visited Selangor in 1904. Now that Mr. P. J. BURGESS, former- 

 ly Government Analyst to the Straits Settlements, has resigned, the 

 services of a practical Analytical Chemist are all the more needful. 



Burgess Mission. 



During the past year Mr. BURGESS has visited Europe and his 

 Report has been published in the Agricultural Bulletin for Decem- 

 ber. We must express our surprise that its essential points were 

 not communicated to your Association before they were given to 

 the world in the columns of a Ceylon Newspaper. The Report is 

 extremely interesting and the drawbacks to cultivated Hevea men- 

 tioned therein are only such as time will overcome and in the opinion 

 of your Committee there is practically nothing in it to cause dis- 

 quietude in the minds of investors. The best methods for treating 

 Latex and drying the rubber etc. are still in process of elaboration, 

 and Mr. BURGESS' Report should very considerably elucidate points 

 that are at present still in the elementary stage. Your Committee 

 feel sure that the rubber planters of the Malay Peninsula will still 

 retain their keenness for arriving at the best economical methods of 

 treating their produce. 



Experimental Gardens. 



We have not yet received the Government Report upon the 

 Experimental Gardens at Batu Tiga, the delay being doubtless due 

 to the fact that Mr. STANLEY Arden, the Superintendent of the 

 Gardens, has resigned his appointment. We understand that 

 experiments have been made in growing Rubber at various eleva- 

 tions, and we trust that Government will continue these valuable 

 experiments. It would appear to you all a retrograde policy should 

 Government now abandon a project which was originally started at 

 the instigation of the Association, solely for the temporary want of 

 a man who can readily be replaced, and we confidently look to the 

 Director of Agriculture to develope these experimental gardens 

 which must in time prove of great value alike to Natives and to 

 Europeans ; and a reference to the "last U. P. A. Annual Report 

 containing excerpts from Mr. WlLLIS' Report is sufficient to shew 

 the value of such gardens. 



Exhibitions. 



The Director of Agriculture has done good work in initiating local 

 exhibitions, (so far only one however has been held) which would 

 induce a healthy competition amongst Natives. 



Your Members have assisted at all the Annual Shows held at Kuala 

 Lumpur, Penang and in Liverpool, and we feel sure that they will 

 equally assist at the Singapore Exhibition to be held in August. A 

 very large representative Exhibition of Rubber from various parts of 

 the world is to be held at Kandy, Ceylon, in September, and we 

 trust that all Members will assist in showing specimens of what the 

 Malay Peninsula produces. 



