414 



The maize was as fine as ever, and there was much of it. The 

 riverside sandbanks of Perak and other parts of the northern districts 

 of the peninsula produce very fine samples. 



Both ginger and turmeric were really quite exceptional this year, 

 and the best of the specimens shown would be hard to beat any- 

 where. The amount exhibited, too, was quite unusual, showing a 

 greater interest taken in these two useful minor crops. 



The Tuba-root was good also, though some of the samples were 

 too woody. Nearly all were roots of the true Tuba, Derris-ellipticn, 

 but on previous occasions we had interesting collections of different 

 poisons of this class from other species of trees or shrubs staged. 



Sugar cane was less extensively shown than it has been when the 

 exhibitions was held nearer the cane-districts of Province Wellesley 

 and Perak. It is certainly rather a cumbrous exhibit to bring from 

 long'distances. The cultivation of the cane has, however, in any case 

 fallen off owing to its place being so largely taken up by rubber. 

 There was little variety in the exhibits, the yellow eating cane, 

 known as Telor, and a purple field-cane being the only varieties 

 staged. There were, however, good samples of both of these, and the 

 Telor cane carrried away the first prize. 



The sugars, coco-nut, nipah and kabong gave some work to the 

 judges, all were abundant and the best samples were exceptionally 

 firm, well flavoured and neatly prepared. 



There were a good many samples of coffee, considering how this 

 product has lately dropped out of cultivation, and the cocoa-pods 

 shown were better, more abundant and riper than at most of the pre- 

 vious shows. Some of the pods were of very good size, and there were 

 but few marks of disease so prevalent here. The first prize was 

 allotted to some excellent, though small, pods, of the green variety, 

 the second to some fair Sangue Toro. No prizes were offered this year 

 for tea or indigo, which have always been represented at previous 

 shows. 



Betel nuts, both fresh and dried, formed a very conspicuous fea- 

 ture, and were well up to average, and Sireh leaves were more 

 abundantly represented than usual, and very large, fresh and good. 



Cloves were scanty, only two good samples, and these not the 

 very best. A nice little lot of mother-cloves, the fruit of the clove tree 

 was shown also, nutmegs were not up to the average standard, espe- 

 cially the fresh ones. Perhaps the season had something to do with 

 this. Mace was better, the red being represented by some very clean 

 and bright spice. But, we have often seen a better show of these 

 spices. Pepper was fair, but not as abundant or fine as we have 

 seen, the fall off in cultivation of late years perhaps accounts for this. 



The spice collections were better than usual, both in abundance 

 and arrangement, the large numbers of samples of spices used in cur- 

 ries arranged in little bowls on staging being very attractive and 

 interesting. 



