AGRICULTURAL BULLETIN 
OF THE 
STRAITS 
AND 
FEDERATED MALAY STATES. 
No. n.] NOVEMBER, 1906. [VOL. V. 
MALAY PENINSULA RUBBER AT THE 
CEYLON SHOW. 
The Rubber exhibits sent by planters of the Malay Peninsula to 
the Ceylon Exhibition were it seems, for the most part, the specimens 
exhibited at the recent Exhibition in Singapore and though they 
carried away a certain number of prizes, still they did not get as 
many as was reasonably expected It is pointed out that the Ceylon 
Exhibitors scored by sticking to the little five pound samples which 
were asked for, while the Malay Exhibitors sent really large samples. 
It is easy enough to select out of the whole produce of an estate 
a dozen or two exceptional biscuits, or to spend a considerable time 
in making five pounds or so of first class samples which perhaps 
could not be put on the market in tons. What is wanted in an 
Exhibition of Agricultural produce is a sample which represents the 
real exported article, not a fancy specimen In many cases however, 
the bulk of material which this would involve would be too great 
for conveniently sending to or staging at the Exhibition. So that 
the size of the sample has to be limited. This however, is not the 
case in an exhibition of a single class of produce, of no vast size, 
and there is really no necessity for making it possible for a planter 
with, f-ay a couple of dozen trees to carry off a prize which he could 
not do if the amount required was enough to expert. We do not 
know if this was the case at the Ceylon Exhibition, but it has 
occurred at exhibitions in the Straits as well as elsewhere, and it 
was to avoid this that the prize for rubber packed for export was 
offered. Exhibitors often imagine that because the sample asked 
for is, say ten pounds weight they will be disqualified with twelve 
pounds, but it is really understood that the quantity asked for is 
not less than ten pounds. 
According to Messrs. Smithett and Dkvitt, two of the Judges 
at the Show “What clearly happened was that the Judges dipped 
their hands into the sample and picked out a piece of rubber which 
perhaps was not as good as the rest of a big sample but the whole 
sample was judged by the piece chosen." If this is correctly 
reported the Judges have a good deal yet to learn about judging 
anything at a Show. The best course is if A sends 5 lbs. and B 50 
