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. 
SUMMARY. 
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.— E d 
