H5 



Return. A sum of $51.89 was expended in the purchase of new 

 roses, which arrived in perfect condition and will be planted when 

 established. Flower and vegetable seeds cost $25.22. 



Coconut Trees Preservation. 



15. The number of notices issued in connection with infected 

 trees and manure not properly stored amounted to 755. 



Fortunately for this Settlement beetles are the only pest and the 

 dreaded Bud-Rot has not appeared ; but the area to be inspected is 

 far too large for one Inspector, and a Sub-Inspector is allowed for 

 next year. 



There were nine prosecutions in Penang and four in Province 

 Wellesley. The fines inflicted amounting to $1 5.50 only. I strongly 

 think this leniency will result in more unnecessary work for the 

 Inspectors and the real work of inspection will fall into arrears. 

 It may not seem a serious breach of the Ordinance for a small foot 

 bridge or fence of coconut stems to be used and in solitary instances 

 there would not be any danger of maintaining breeding grounds for 

 the beetles, but if every one so utilized their fallen stems (and this 

 is done in Province Wellesley far too much) an additional danger 

 in this direction would exist, as the attention of the Inspectors would 

 be divided between unburied stems and standing trees. 



General. 



16. I attended the Agri-Horticultural Show held at Kwala 

 Kangsar in August and took charge of the Penang exhibits. There 

 were 122 exhibitors and 700 entries in 168 classes. The Settlement 

 was very successful and carried off 48 first prizes, 24 second prizes, 

 7 third prizes, and 3 exhibits were highly commended. 



Excepting horticulture (plants and flowers) all the large divisions 

 were well represented, and while there is a general consensus of 

 opinion as to the educational and other advantages of such shows, 

 there does not appear to be any probability of a higher or other 

 standard forthcoming. To effect a change in the present practice 

 of agriculture I suggest that the best prospect of improvement lies 

 in the encouragement and assistance of school gardens as is done 

 in the West Indies and Ceylon. Without such early teaching the 

 market gardener will fail to realize that quality may be made or 

 modified by selection and varied cultivation, and the small coconut 

 planter will proceed on the same lines as hitherto, waiting years for 

 a crop instead of being profitably engaged in cultivating as catch 

 crops, citronella or lemon-grass oils, improving his property and at 

 the same time assisting to build up a large oil industry. A larger 

 demand for vegetable oils seems probable and the countries best 

 equipped will be naturally the first to reap the benefit. An 

 Agricultural Show would determine whether the oil was purer or a 

 vegetable more succulent; to the observant it would most likely 

 indicate the direction in which improvement might be expected, 

 but first of all the methods of agriculture as now practised must 

 be altered, and I cannot conceive how such alteration can be effected 

 except in the way suggested. 



