124
Horace B. Goad, Esq., who has met with more success in the undertaking
than has any one elso owing to his excellent management of the stock, re-
marks :—
" The half-bred cows are a great success, but the bulls are of little value, natives do not care
for them as they have no hump."
All other reports received are to the same effect, so that the remarks made
in my last annual report are confirmed this year.
The Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, Bombay, remarks on
the unsuitability of the Deccan for cattle breeding, and advocates measures
being confined to good cattle breeding districts. He remarks as follows :—
" The subject of cattle breeding is one that should be approached with caution, and I regret
that I have been unable to take any decided steps during the year. In the first place, the-
present establishment is insufficient to adopt any measures likely to be beneficial, and in the second,
the question is a difficult one and should be well considered before any action is taken."
With these remarks I agree.
Cattle Fairs and
Shows.
339. The following cattle fairs have been reported on during the year.
Most of them were attended by the Superintendents, Civil Veterinary Depart-
ment. The following remarks are from the reports received :—
Punjab.
Jehazgarh Autumn Cattle Fair.—This fair was attended from the 3rd to the
4th October 1894. The number of animals present was 49,589, of which 19,097
were sold and Rs. 5,72,135 changed hands. Rupees 83 were distributed as
prizes. Forty bullocks were purchased for the Saharanpur Remount Depot for
farm work at an average price of Rs. 48-7-0. The usual sanitary arrangements-
were made. No cases of contagious disease occurred, excepting one case of
foot and mouth disease. There were some remarkably fine buffaloe cows at
the fair far better than those I have seen at Amritsar ; the prize cow gave
18 seers of milk.
Jullunder Cattle Fair.—This fair was held from 5th to 13th of October.
4,899 animals were present at the fair, and 2,856 were sold for Rs. 53,146,
giving an average price of Rs. 19. Three hundred and twenty rupees were
given as prizes by the Municipal Committee. No remarks on the fair are
made by the Superintendent.
Amritsar Dewali Cattle Fair.—The fair was held from 27th October
to 5th November 1894. Rs. 2,021 were awarded as prizes, of which Rs. 1,142
were awarded to animals belonging to the Amritsar district, Rs. 319 to Lahore,
and Rs. 243 to Ferozepore.
Forty four thousand, two hundred and ninty-three animals attended
against 49,148 last year, showing a falling off in numbers amounting to
4,855 ; this is attributed chiefly to the prevalence of fever. The average prices
realized for meat cattle were much below those of the previous year, owing
to the absence of buyers from the frontier districts.
Great numbers of animals were purchased by the Commissariat Agents.
On the whole the animals entered to compete for prizes were not up to the
average in quality. A new departure was, it is satisfactory to learn, made
in offering special prizes for good bullocks for the plough. This class of
animal suited for local requirements had heretofore been somewhat neglected.
Sirsa Spring Cattle Fair.—This cattle fair was held from the 25th
February to the 11th March. About 8,500 animals were present against 7,000
last year, and the attendance of buyers was very good indeed. The fair is
purely a business one, and only Rs. 131 were distributed as prizes. There seems
every reason to expect that the gathering will continue to improve. As recom-
mended last year, all the Veterinary Assistants in the district attended the fair
for duty. The usual sanitary arrangements were made and a temporary
hospital established.
Hissar Spring Cattle Fair.—This cattle fair was held from the 12th to
16th March, and 22,000 head of cattle were brought in. They were in poor con-
dition owing to scarcity of fodder in the district, but were superior in quality to