421 



There was a fair competition in diary produce, but it must be 

 admitted that it is difficult to get milk and butter down fresh from 

 long distances, such as Penang and Perak, and the judging in this 

 class was rather late. Cattle were not numerous and there were no 

 pigs shown, a few fine animals, however, were on view. One Indian 

 bull, a champion for several shows, held his own easily. 



SUMiViARY. 



On the whole the show was a very good one, and attracted a large 

 number of visitors, but in some points, notably Native industries, 

 there was a great falling off from the last exhibition held here, nor 

 was the Agricultural produce section quite as large or good, in many 

 classes. The rubber and the horticultural sections were, however, 

 better. 



The expenses and labour connected with these exhibitions as held 

 annually are great and fall rather too heavily on many persons who 

 assist at getting them up, and it might be expected that the interest 

 would diminish when these exhibitions had been held for many years 

 consecutively. It was never intended that they should be perma- 

 nently annual institutions. In the original scheme five annual shows 

 only were to be held, after which it was suggested that such general 

 shows could be held at intervals of three or five years. Seven annual 

 shows have now been held, and it is now proposed to hold them at 

 intervals of not shorter than three years. This, of course, does not 

 preclude in any way a district or state from holding little local exhi- 

 bitions of rubber or produce of any kind as was too commonly done in 

 previous years. These little local shows were held constantly in 

 Singapore and Penang from 1884, and later in Malacca and the Native 

 States, and were very pleasant little functions. 



It has been stated that the big exhibitions have failed in their 

 object, a statement with which we should entirely disagree. The 

 objectors seem to have thought that they were entirely arranged for 

 the benefit of native padi-cultivators or to improve native cultivations 

 only. This we do not think it was ever expected by any of the 

 original proposers of the exhibitions that the padi cultivation would 

 be vastly improved by this or any other method of the type. The 

 effect of these exhibitions has, we believe, been very much greater 

 than is at first visible. 



Their importance has been realised so much by other nations that 

 they are being invited in numerous parts of the East. From India to 

 the Philippines there have been from time to time little shows such 

 as we formerly had till the commencement of this series, but it was 

 the Malay peninsula which took the lead in really large and represent- 

 ative exhibitions of produce and trade products, after the style of the 

 large exhibitions in Europe, and as in other progresses in agriculture 

 in this country, our lead is being followed elsewhere. — Ed 



