4 
III. 
RESIDENT, PERAK, to RESIDENT-GENERAL. 
British Residency, 
R -G 0 6635/02. Perak, Taiping, 8th October , 1902. 
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, m l. 03; and I 
would recommend the three following gentlemen as representatives of 1 erak on the propose* 
standing Committee: 
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). 
3. The great 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 thems*dves, 
and the manner in which they are shown, are such as to afford a reasonable probability that 
they 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’ memo¬ 
randum, I would offer the following suggestions :— 
Aqriculture.— 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 relied on for effective repre¬ 
sentation at these shows in every department, but here the initiative must largely be taken 
by Government. From Perak we can send fairly good cattle, selected from the Government 
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 agiicultanal 
products would be cultivated, according to the methods and with the machinery host sun w o 
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 m the following 
manner: bv purchasing and exhibiting good specimens of live stock of every description; by 
procuring selected specimens of various seeds, and exhibiting them under cultivation m he 
im-ediate neighbourhood of the show; by similarly procuring and exhibiting m actual 
operation cheap ploughs, harrows and other specimens of simp e but effective agricultural 
machinery. Such an exhibit would be a liberal education to all native cultivator m this 
part of the world. 
Horticulture. — What I have written above applies, to a great extent, to this class also ; 
and I would recommend that the native sections of this class should be organised on much 
the same lines as those of the “ cottage garden ” shows m England. It would be both unfan 
and disheartening to the native competitor to allow the produce of the Botanical Gardens of , 
Singapore and Penang, or the Government Gardens of Perak and Selangor, to compete with 
the "results of his individual, and necessarily restricted, efforts. 
Manufactures.—' This will include, I presume, only articles of a strictly utilitarian nature; 
although most of these can, and should, possess some artistic value. \\ lierever possi ble, t e 
process of actual manufacture, as well as the results, should be shown. 
Works of Art. — I would suggest that “Art Industries” should be substituted as the 
title for this class. It is not merely the result, but the process, that we want to see exhibited; 
whether in weaving, pottery making, damascening, carving, or any oilier artistic mdustr\. 
5. I agree, generally, with the rest of Mr. Curtis’ memorandum, and think that three 
davs sliould°be the period for the show to remain open. 
I have, etc., 
J. P. RODGER. 
