3i8 



from the Dutch Indies by Mr. Diepenheim. It is used in medicine, 

 and was formerly at least a manufacture of Penang. 



Tea. — Was represented by six exhibits, the well-known product 

 of Durian Tungul Estate carrying off the first prize. 



Coffee. — Although the cultivation has of late years almost 

 disappeared from the Peninsula, or more correctly diminished to a 

 very great extent, was better represented than in Penang last year. 

 Golden Hope Estate as on previous occasions holding the front 

 rank with its Liberian. Bailey's Stencphylla hybrid was represented 

 by two or more good samples. Should coffee come back again to 

 the Peninsula some time, as we may hope it may, we shall look for 

 a. great future for this superb variety. 



Sugar-canes. — Were fairly well shown , there being in all fifteen 

 exhibits of specimens and collections, some of these were 

 •excellent. With the decadence of the sugar industry nowadays, 

 and the distance which Singapore is from the sugar cane district, 

 it is not to be wondered that eating canes predominated in the 

 collection. 



Prepared sugars. — Were abundant especially those of coconut 

 and kabong palms. These popular and nutritious sweetmeats were 

 of excellent quality in many samples and gave the judges some 

 trouble to decide on their respective merits. Nipah sugar, never 

 largely represented, was hardly shown at all. Its softness and treacly 

 stickiness make it less popular than the firm dark toffee-like coco- 

 nut and kabong sugars. Native cane sugar was also good and 

 well made and brown, white, and refined though not largely shown 

 were of good quality. 



Toddy. — Was illustrated by several samples and was as usual 

 judged by Tamils for no European can appreciate the flavour of 

 this native spirit. 



Rum and Rum Shrub were shown in a very small series, 

 but the samples were mostly good, and required some care in 

 judging. 



Honey. — For the first time at any show in the Peninsula, 

 cultivated honey was shown by Father Gex of the Mission 

 Etrangeres, who may well be called the pioneer of apiculture here. 

 He showed not only a fine lot of combs, run honey and wax, but 

 also had small glass cases of the bees at work which proved a great 

 attraction to the natives, many of whom had the opportunity of 

 watching the bees busily engaged in making up their combs for 

 the first time in their lives. The bees which Father Gex is so 

 skilful in cultivating are not the European hive bee, but the Indian 

 kind, Apis indica, a common bee here. -It is a smaller insect than the 

 English bee. It may be hoped that this attractive exhibit may 

 induce some of the natives to cultivate the art of bee keeping, which 

 indeed is not absolutely unknown in the Peninsula, as I have seen 

 in the homes of Chinese near Batu Pahat, hives of cylindric shape 

 made of rattan hung up in the rooms and tenanted by the same 

 kind of bees. Dr. Haviland of Kuching, many years ago devoted 

 some time to apiculture and introduced European bees also from 

 Italy, but they did not thrive as well as the local kind. 



