FEEDING VALUE OF FUZZY AMERICAN COTTON SEEDS AS COMPARED
WITH DESI COTTON SEEDS FOR MILCH BUFFALOES
By P. E. LANDER, M.A., D.Sc., F.R.I.C., I.A.S., Agricultural Chemist to
Government, Punjab and LAL CHAND DHARMANI, LAG.,B.Sc. (Agri.), A.R.I.C., Assistan
to Agricultural Chemist to Government, Punjab, Lyallpur
(Received for publication on 7 March 1944)
THERE have been in the past and there
still are to-day many prejudices amongst
zemindars against using fuzzy American
cotton seeds as a feeding stuff. These
prejudices may briefly be summarized as
follows:
1. Fuzzy cotton seed is low in fat in com-
parison with naked seed, and conse-
quently the output of ghee from buffa-
loes fed on it is reduced.
2. This seed is considered to be indiges-
tible or harmful to the digestive sys-
tem of animals.
3. Fuzzy seed has a smaller kernel than
other cotton seed and this reduces its
nutritive value and adversely affects
the fat content of the milk produced.
4. It reduces the quantity of milk secre-
ted.
5. Some people go so far as to say that
the teats of milch animals become
clogged up if they are fed on this seed
for any length of time.
6. Its food value is lower than that of other
cotton seed.
7. Cattle do not relish the seed because
of its fuzziness.
Work has been carried out at Lyallpur
in the past on heifers with various types
of cotton seeds including the fuzzy
American types. The results of this work
have been published in the following:-
papers:—
(i) Memories of the Department of
Agriculture in India, Chemical Series,
Vol. X, No. 6, November, 1929.
(ii) The Indian Journal of Veterinary
Science and Animal Husbandry, Vol.
V, Part IV, December, 1935, pages
343-349.
The results of similar work carried out
on milch cows are recorded in the progress
report of the scheme for studying the
nutritive requirements of milch cows in
the Punjab for the year 1943.
These results indicate that none of
the prejudices enumerated above can be
substantiated as regards heifers and milch
cows. Correspondingly those prejudices
which might be expected to apply to working
bullocks have similarly been shown to be
without foundation. It is unfortunate that
in spite of this work these prejudices still
exist. One of the results is that the mar
ket price of fuzzy American cotton seeds
has been, and still is, lower than that of
naked desi seeds. This is a matter of
considerable economic importance to cotton
growers, and is one which has been promi
nently before the Indian Central Gotton
Committee. This body recently considered
it desirable that further work should be
done on this problem using milch buffaloes
in order finally either to dispel or to
substantiate the prejudices in question
The Indian Central Cotton Committe
therefore financed during the year 1942-4
a scheme of work which has been conduct
at Lyallpur and which is described
below.
Twelve milch buffaloes of, as far as
possible, approximately equal weights, the
same age and otherwise similar were
used. These were divided into three group
of four each, designated as groups A, B
and C. Group A was fed fuzzy American
cotton seed, group B delinted America:
cotton seed and group C desi cotton seed
The work was started on November 1, 194
and ended on 31 October 1943.
22