io 
Agricultural Show. 
18. On the iotli and nth of July an Agricultural Show was held in the Dato 
Kramat Gardens. As regards the site selected and the attendance on both days it 
proved a decided success, but the improvement in the quality of exhibits in any 
Division did not in my opinion show the advance that one naturally would expect in 
a progressive Settlement. The Horticultural Division w r as decidedly weaker than on 
the previous occasion when a similar exhibition took place on the Race Course. 
That the season had been an unfavourable one there is no denying, a long period ot 
drought being followed by torrential rain, but still the result should have been better. 
The exhibits'of Produce, under which heading were included all vegetable products 
except Fruits, Flowers, and Vegetables, although containing some new and pio- 
mising exhibits in the form of Guttas and Rubbers, tending to show the new direction 
agriculture has taken since the last exhibition, was on the vvnole not what might be 
expected. Probably too long a time had elapsed since a Show of this kind was held 
here, and more interest would be taken in producing high class samples if it were 
certain that similar exhibitions would be held biennially or triennially. An annual 
Show on the same scale is more 1 think than the voluntary financial resources ol the 
Settlement would stand. During the progress of the Show', advantage was taken of 
the presence of a Para Rubber tree growing in the Show ground to give a demonstra- 
tion of the method of tapping and coagulating in the presence of several planters 
interested in the cultivation of this tree. 
Gnitta Percha. 
19. As already mentioned in Paragraph 2, much attention has been paid to 
the question of gutta percha, especially as regards the means of obtaining a large 
supply of seeds or plants of the best type, and the best manner of forming planta- 
tions, of which a commencement was made under my supervision in Malacca in 1900, 
and has this year been commenced in Penang. Since then a new Chief Forest 
Officer from Buriqah has been appointed to the Malay States and the Colony, and it 
is cr ratifying to learn from a private letter received from him that he approved of the 
work that has already been done. In January last. 1 made a trip to Indragiri (Sumatra) 
in the Dutch Residency of Rio, in order to see the method of planting and propagat- 
ing gutta percha trees as practised by a gentleman residing there, and if possible to 
arrange for a supply of seeds or plants. On my return a repoit was furnished toi 
the information of His Honour the Officer Administering the Government, who took 
a keen interest in the subject, a copv of which 1 annex (Appendix B.) Some time 
later I was deputed, in accordance with an arrangement made with His Highness The 
Sultan of Johore that a responsible Officer should be sent to see that no material 
damage was done to his forests, to proceed to Muai to collect and transport to 
Malacca young gutta percha trees from that region. Every possible assistance was 
o-iven me by the" Johore authorities, who sent me a Steam Launch when 1 was ready 
To return, so that in a few days 1,750 plants were landed in Malacca in excellent 
condition. Mr. HUDSON, who has been appointed Superintendent ol Forests and 
Plantations, Malacca, had by this time arrived and took charge of the planting. In 
Penang we have been fortunate in getting a crop of seeds from some trees growing m 
the Waterfall Valiev from which over 3,000 plants have been raised. In order to 
prevent these seeds being eaten bv squirrels and monkeys it was necessarv to fell all 
the adjoining trees from ‘'which they could gain access to them and to fix an arrange- 
ment of bamboo spikes round the 'boles of the trees themselves. Bats, however, 
which are equally fond of the sweet pulp in which these seeds are embedded, were 
not so easy to circumvent and carried off great numbers. Netting some ot the best 
branches in the manner in which bush fruits are protected m England was resorted 
to but the effectual protection of large forest trees by this means is next to impos- 
sible. These trees flowered during February and March, and ripened their seeds in 
lune and July. Two of them, growing side by side, I have known lor years, and 
until they fruited never for a moment suspected that they were different species, 
havino- been accustomed to consider them both Palaquium gutta. J here is however 
a difference in the fruit, one being much rounder and of a deeper colour than 
the other. Good specimens of both flowers and fruits, togethei with diawings, 
were sent to Kew and Buitenzorg, and l am not sure that the matter is even now 
unite satisfactorily cleared up. The Kew authorities consider one to be the true 
Palaquium gutta, and the other an unnamed species which it is proposed to name 
Palaquium Curtisii. Dr. TrEUB, however, hesitates as to the exact specific name and 
noints out the great difficulty there is in this genus of determining what is* Jo be 
called species and how far variation may go and his remarks on this are quite in 
accordance with my own Held observations. He was also kind enough to have an 
'analysis made of samples of gutta from both these trees, the result ot which is more 
