595 
Value to the general public in Sijj^apore or Penang when the 
shows were held there. — Ed. 
RESIDENT, PERAK, TO RESIDENT GENERAL. 
British Residency, 
Perak, Taiping , 8th October , 1902. 
R.-G.O. 6635/02. 
Sir I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter, 
5386/02, with enclosures, of the 15th September, on the subject of 
holding properly organised Agricultural Shows, annually, in the 
Federated Malay States and the Colony. 
2 . In reply to the enquiries contained in the second paragraph 
of your letter, I think that Kuala Lumpur will be the best place in 
the States for the first Show, in 1903 ; and I would recommend the 
three following gentlemen as representatives of Perak on the pro- 
posed standing C ommittee: 
Mr. A. B. Stephens, Forest Officer and Acting Superintendent 
of Government Plantations ; 
Mr. H. C. Barnard, Resident Engineer for Railways ; 
Mr. A. L. Ingall, District Magistrate, Batang Padang (Acting 
.Senior Magistrate). 
, The ^reat object to be aimed at, in connection with these 
shows, is that they should be of as practical a character as possible ; 
and in my opinion, unless the exhibits themselves, and the manner 
in which they are shown, are such as to afford a reasonable prob- 
ability that thev will be of practical benefit to the persons locally 
interested (especially Asiatics), there is no justification for holding 
the shows at all. 
4. Dealing seriatim, with the exhibits classified in paragraph 7 
of Mr. Curtis' memorandum, f would offer the following sugges- 
. tions : — 
Agriculture.— This is by far the most important of all the classes, 
and we want to do three things : (1) improve the local cattle, sheep, 
pigs, horses (ponies) and poultry; (2) improve the grain sown 
(especially rice) and the method of cultivation ; (3) introduce simple 
agricultural machinery. In England, private enterprise can be re- 
'lied on for effective representation at these shows in every depart- 
ment, but here the initiative must largely be taken by Government. 
From Perak we can send fairly good cattle, selected from the Gov- 
ernment herd ; but I should like to see a Federal Model Farm in 
the Federated Malay States, on which not merely live stock of every 
description would be raised, but rice and other agricultural products 
would be cultivated, according to the methods and with the machi- 
nery best suited to the local surroundings. In the meanwhile, and 
at this first show, I would suggest that the Government of the 
Federated Malay States can best demonstrate its interest in this 
very important question, and afford the best object lesson to native 
visitors in the following manner: by purchasing and exhibiting good 
