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14. A propos of a subordinate department, it may be observed here that
in response to orders, schemes for the formation of two subordinate departments
in this circle were submitted during the year under report. That for Sind,
which was submitted in July, urged that the excellent proposals drawn up by
Mr. Hewlett for the Presidency Proper and Sind should be adopted as eminently
suitable, especially if it should be deemed advisable at any future date to
amalgamate Sind with the Presidency Proper, under the orders of one depart-
mental head, which I anticipate will become an indispensable arrangement.
15. During the year I gave an expression of my opinion on the subject
of cattle shows and the distribution of bulls as unsatisfactory means of encourag-
ing the production of a better class of stock. These views were placed for
discussion before the Agricultural Conference at Pusa in February and it is
earnestly hoped that the Conference will have arrived at some conclusions
which suggest ways and workable methods whereby it will be feasible to get the
people to realize the value of making efforts to improve their cattle, where
improvement is required, and to maintain old established breeds, where they
still exist or flourish.
With regard to the subject of the bettering of cattle in India, it is to be
observed that apparently the three senior executive officers of the Indian Civil
Veterinary Department, independently of each other, are in accord that cattle
shows are of little value as a stimulus to breeding.
In connection with this subject of cattle breeding, I have suggested at
some length that the Director of Agriculture might be consulted on the advis-
ability of following the course adopted by other Provinces, and start a farm at
Mirpur Khás, that is, if it is desirable to see whether and how far it is possible
to raise the standard of Sind cattle by judicious feeding, selection in mating and
general good management. The main idea I had in my mind of a farm being to
prove to a people who have been farmers and pastoral stock owners for gener-
ations, what it is possible to achieve, before advising them upon a subject in
which many of them may be our masters.
On the other hand, it is very questionable whether there would be any great
value in such a project, as there is no doubt but that large numbers of farmers
in this part of the country know what should be done, and how it can be clone
if they are anxious to better their cattle, and there is sufficient proof to warrant
this remark, for example, round about Karachi there are numbers of men who
are very well off due to their line of farming being to breed an excellent and
profitable dairy cow, and, as Karachi expands the demand for milk will increase
and no doubt sufficiently to stimulate this industry. However these farmers
will determine that point themselves. Again just beyond the confines of the
Upper Sind Frontier District, there is another farming community who breed
as fine a class of draught oxen as there is to be seen anywhere in India where
quality, conformation and strength is concerned, and from which stock they
realized from Government alone, at two shows, a sum approaching two thou-
sand pounds sterling (the cost of about 300 head) at present we can teach these
folk very little our Western methods and conditions for raising stock are
absolutely different and at present, generally inapplicable to India but to a
certain extent they could be adopted on a farm.
Throughout the year the weekly season reports stated that the agricultural
cattle in the several districts kept in good condition and there was a sufficient
supply of fodder. Disease was seldom brought to notice.
16. During the year under report, the Government of Western Australia
furnished information in reply to questions on the subject of camels and camel
breeding. They say that this stock in their country had all round, considerably
advanced since they commenced importing it from Sind and elsewhere (some forty
years ago), and that the results which are due to the enterprize and common sense
of the Australian are so encouragaing that their State and that of South Australia
think there is a possibility of the industry developing into an export trade with
Asiatic countries, which are the original habitat of the camel.
As questions have been raised in connection with the difficulty experienced
in finding camels in Sind and Baluchistan of a suitable stamp and condition for
B 309—15