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from the Dutch Indies by Mr. Diepenheim. It is used in medicine, 
and was formerly at least a manufacture of Penang. 
Tea . — Was represented by six exhibits, the well-known product 
of Durian Tungul Estate carrying off the first prize. 
Coffee . — Although the cultivation has of late years almost 
disappeared from the Peninsula, or more correctly diminished to a 
very great extent, was better represented than in Penang last year. 
Golden Hope Estate as on previous occasions holding the front 
rank with its Liberian. Bailey’s Stenophylla hybrid was represented 
by two or more good samples. Should coffee come back again to 
the Peninsula some time, as we may hope it may, we shall look for 
a great future for this superb variety. 
Sugar-canes . — Were fairly well shown, there being in all fifteen 
exhibits of specimens and collections, some of these were 
excellent. With the decadence of the sugar industry nowadays, 
and the distance which Singapore is from the sugar cane district, 
it is not to be wondered that eating canes predominated in the 
collection. 
Prepared sugars . — Were abundant especially those of coconut 
and kabong palms. These popular and nutritious sweetmeats were 
of excellent quality in many samples and gave the judges some 
trouble to decide on their respective merits. Nipah sugar, never 
largely represented, was hardly shown at all. Its softness and treacly 
stickiness make it less popular than the firm dark toffee-like coco- 
nut and kabong sugars. Native cane sugar was also good and 
well made and brown, white, and refined though not largely shown 
were of good quality. 
Toddy . — Was illustrated by several samples and was as usual 
judged by Tamils for no European can appreciate the flavour of 
this native spirit. 
Rum and Rum Shrub were shown in a very small series, 
but the samples were mostly good, and required some care in 
judging. 
Honey . — For the first time at any show in the Peninsula, 
cultivated honey was shown by Father Gex of the Mission 
Etrangeres, who may well be called the pioneer of apiculture here. 
He showed not only a fine lot of combs, run honey and wax, but 
also had small glass cases of the bees at work which proved a great 
attraction to the natives, many of whom had the opportunity of 
watching the bees busily engaged in making up their combs for 
the first time in their lives. The bees which Father Gex is so 
skilful in cultivating are not the European hive bee, but the Indian 
kind, Apis indica, a common bee here. It is a smaller insect than the 
English bee. It may be hoped that this attractive exhibit may 
induce some of the natives to cultivate the art of bee keeping, which 
indeed is not absolutely unknown in the Peninsula, as I have seen 
in the homes of Chinese near Batu Pahat, hives of cylindric shape 
made of rattan hung up in the rooms and tenanted by the same 
kind of bees. Dr. Haviland of Kuching, many years ago devoted 
some time to apiculture and introduced European bees also from 
Italy, but they did not thrive as well as the local kind. 
