AGRICULTURAL BULLETIN 



OF THE 



STRAITS 



AND 



FEDERATED MALAY STATES. 



No. ii.] NOVEMBER, 1906. [Vol. V. 



MALAY PENINSULA RUBBER AT THE 

 CEYLON SHOW. 



The Rubber exhibits sent by planters of the Malay Peninsula to 

 the Ceylon Exhibition were it seems, for the most part, the specimens 

 exhibited at the recent Exhibition in Singapore and though they 

 carried away a certain number of prizes, still they did not get as 

 many as was reasonably expected It is pointed out that the Ceylon 

 Exhibitors scored by sticking to the little five^ pound .samples which 

 were asked for, while the Malay Exhibitors sent really large samples. 

 It is easy enough to select out of the whole produce of an estate 

 a dozen or two exceptional biscuits, or to spend a considerable time 

 in making five pounds or so of first class samples which perhaps 

 could not be put on the market in tons. What is wanted in an 

 Exhibition of Agricultural produce is a sample which represents the 

 real exported article, not a fancy specimen. In many cases however, 

 the bulk of material which this would involve would be too great 

 for conveniently sending to or staging at the Exhibition. So that 

 the size of the sample has to be limited. This however, is not the 

 case in an exhibition of a single class of produce, of no vast size, 

 and there is really no necessity for making it possible for a planter 

 with, say a couple of dozen trees to carry off a prize which he could 

 not do if the amount required was enough to expert.' We do not 

 know if this was the case at the Ceylon Exhibition, but it has 

 occurred at exhibitions in the Straits as well as elsewhere, and it 

 was to avoid this that the prize for rubber packed for export was 

 offered. Exhibitors often imagine that because the sample asked 

 for is, say ten pounds weight they will be disqualified with twelve 

 pounds, but it is really understood that the quantity asked for is 

 not less than ten pounds. 



According to Messrs. SMITHETT and Dkvitt, two of the Judges 

 at the Show "What clearly happened was that the Judges dipped 

 their hands into the sample and picked out a piece of rubber which 

 perhaps was not as good r «s the rest of a big sample but the whole 

 sample was judged by the piece chosen." If this is correctly 

 reported the Judges have a good deal yet to learn about judging 

 anything at a Show. The best course is if A sends 5 lbs. and B 50 



