594 
No i alone, or mixed with red soil (No. 2 ) are both good com- 
posts suitable for a great number of pot plants, but as in the case 
of main- other plants the advantage of adding manure can be seen 
by the difference in the growth of the manured and unmanured 
Balsams. Red soil alone is wanting in the requisites of plant food 
and is too binding, it should be mixed with a liberal quantity ot old 
cattle manure of leaf-mould or both. 
Coco-nut-fibre refuse by itself is very poor but saturated with 
manure it will grow many things, and as a means of keeping soil 
open and free it may often be used in small quantities as an ad- 
mIxture - C. CURTIS. 
AGRICULTURAL SHOWS. 
The Editor has received the following Correspondence dealing 
with Mr CURTIS* proposals for making our Agricultural Shows 
more systematic and useful* The suggestions and emendations 
seem to be mostly very suitable. The Resident of Perak pom s 
out that it would be unfair to allow Botanic Gardens to compete 
with individuals. This 1 think goes without saying, nor do 1 think 
it has ever been done in the Straits at least so far as Singapore 
and Penang is concerned. But all Government gardens should 
exhibit new or well grown plants, samples of produce ftc not for 
competition. This brings new cultivations to the sight ot the 
visitors to the Show, Native and European. 1 he same applies to 
persons trading in plants, not bond fide private cultivators. 
The British Resident, Selangor, suggests that certificates should 
be o-iven by the District Officer or some other trustworthy person 
as to the genuineness of the exhibits, that they are bona fide the 
produce of the exhibitor’s land. This would entail a very gi eat 
deal of extra work on the part of all, and l fear in many cases 
would be impracticable, and certainly so in the case of mineral 
exhibits which be suggests. Undoubtedly, I have seen specimens 
of produce which were certainly not grown m the district, at some 
shows but in many cases, the fact is obvious to any judge. 
' Manufactures and Art Industries. It would not be easy if pos- 
sible to have the process of actual manufacture shown m all cases 
The definition of what should be classed as a manufacture and 
what as a work of art should be left to the local Committee Pot- 
tery, e.g. put under Works of Art by the Resident of Perak could 
come under either heading. . u <i r* 'a *. 
Minerals are suggested as suitable tor exhibition by the Resident 
of S el armor Personally 1 do not agree. In the first place it would 
be very difficult to decide where the specimens came from. Again 
I do not see anv advantage in exhibiting mineral specimens for 
prizes as beside the fortune ot finding a lode or deposit the exhi- 
bitor has not done anything in the way of work, to make competi- 
tion justifiable, nor probably would exhibit s of m ineral be of much 
* No. 1273 , $0$ 
