15
III.—BREEDING OPERATIONS.
(1) Bovines.
Stud bulls and their produce.
165. Table VIII gives the number of stud bulls the property of Govern-
ment and of Local Boards. The figures
furnished continue to show discrepancies
and the information furnished cannot be considered reliable. Of stud bulls
the property of Government, the closing balance of last year's return was 38,
whereas the opening figures of this year's statement is shown as 50; similarly
a discrepancy of 22 appears among the bulls the property of Local Boards.
166. In Bengal there are 3 bull-rearing and breeding farms, viz.,
Siripur, Kalimpong and Bettiah; they are not maintained at Government
expense. A new scheme is reported to have been adopted by which all bulls
reared on these farms are to be distributed to various centres in the Estates
instead of selling them to outsiders. During the year 13 bulls were so selected
and distributed, and it is reported that their services are eagerly sought
after.
167. Improvement is reported in the breeding of buffaloes by crossing
them with Punjabi bulls.
168. Considerable improvement is reported to have taken place in the
herd since the Siripur Farm was put under European supervision.
169. In Bombay the bulls maintained at the Chharodi Farm are occasion-
ally allowed to serve the cows of local cattle breeders, and 36 young Khillari
bulls are reported to have been purchased for the cows belonging to breeders
of the Ahmednagar district. The Northcote Cattle Farm at Chharodi
continues under the supervision of the Superintendent, Civil Veterinary
Department, Bombay. The land of the farm has been acquired and neces-
sary buildings are being constructed. The object of this farm is, principally,
to breed bulls of pure blood for distribution among the herd of Gujarat.
Careful selection and mating have resulted in bringing out the old character-
istics of the breed and the herd can now be considered as of pure Kankrej
blood. There are 18 young bulls which will be available for distribution next
year, and 15 in the succeeding year. The breeding herd of cows is to be
increased next year. Sufficient fodder reserve is maintained. This farm
was visited by Colonel Pease last year, as well as by the Superintendent of the
Government Cattle Farm at Hissar.
170. In the Punjab 53 bulls were supplied from the Hissar Farm, and 20
bulls of the Dhanni breed were obtained from Chakwal and Talagang for the
North Punjab districts. It is reported that some districts are still very short
of bulls. The subject of issuing detailed instructions, in regard to the best
methods of maintaining stud bulls, of deriving the best success from them,
and ensuring their proper care, is under consideration.
171. It is reported from Eastern Bengal and Assam that natives, in some
districts, have so far failed to appreciate the value of suitable bulls, and that
although the balls have toured about in the district the cattle owners showed
no great interest in them, "nor did they prefer them to their own weak
bulls."
172. The Superintendent in remarking on the limited supply of bulls,
states:—"One method of solving this question of the scarcity of bulls, is to
buy selected calves and rear them in a suitable district where there is suffi-
cient grazing all the year round." Referring to the Provincial Cattle Farms,
the Superintendent states that there are 6 young bulls ready to be distributed.
173. The Superintendent, North-West Frontier Province and North
Punjab, states that the number of bulls at stud are quite inadequate if any
permanent results are to be obtained, and that very little interest is taken by
District Boards in cattle breeding. It is also stated that in many places there
is difficulty in finding men willing to keep a District Board bull.
174. In the United Provinces the stud bulls maintained are chiefly the
property of Court of Wards and private Estates, but it is reported that many
District Boards are now contemplating the advisability of locating good
bulls. In alluding to the difficulty in obtaining a sufficient number of mature
and suitable bulls in the open market to meet the demand, the Superintendent
puts forward the suggestion of enlisting the co-operation of some of the most