16
Donkey stock on this farm do well, and are undoubtedly still improving,
and the farm colts will soon, so far as make, shape and size are concerned,
compare very favourably with the best imported jacks.
Donkey mares.—Sixty-two full time foals were born during the year,
The mares are very hardy and, except when they are nursing foals, usually
find all their own living.
Sheep—On the whole felt the adverse conditions less than cattle, but
had to be stall fed for the last three months in the year. Like the cattle they
did badly during March, when fed entirely on imported fodder.
An outbreak of gastro-enteritis occurred among weaned male lambs at
Chaoni during March, and 14 animals died. The out break was probably due to
the parasite "hæmonehas contortus", and infection probably occurred from
canal-filled drinking tanks, many of which owing to shortage of canal water
became very low, or dried up altogether, at the close of the year.
So far as is possible farm stock are not allowed to drink from such
tanks if the water becomes low, well water being also generally available in
emergency. As an additional precaution suspected tanks were fenced in at
the close of the year.
Sixty-seven ram lambs were sold during the year as against 60 last:
year. The wool of the lambs, the produce of the pure country ewes placed last
year with a three-fourth bred merino ram, shows marked improvement, but
at present the lambs are not old enough for final examination.
The Cawnpore Woollen Mills paid 12½ annas per lb. for the last consign-
ment of farm wool. If such rates were certain in the future, and were
readily obtainable by Indian sheep owners, no doubt there would soon be a
large demand for the merino cross.
8. Cultivation.—During
the year the following quantities of grain and
fodder were supplied by the five cultivation blocks :—
Green
jowar..
...
...
JOWAR
Kurby...
...
...
Oats. ... ... ...
Oat
-bhoosa..
...
..
...
Green
oats...
...
...
...
Oat-in--straw... ... ...
Ensilage... ... ...
Green grass... ... ...
Green gowar... ....
Gowar hay... ... ...
Green lucerne... ... ...
Total...
Mds.
38,696
17,479
5,053
10,105
29,161
508
2,640
5,950
470
971
2,381
113,914
Value. Rs.
23,320
23,597
20,210
10,219
16,256
1,01
2,060
3,711
314
1,332
1,962
1,03,999
Considerably more green jowar, kurby jowar and ensilage would have
been obtained but for a plague of grass hoppers and crickets, which devastated
parts of this district from the middle of May till the end of August.
On this farm it was not possible to grow jowar at all during June and
July owing to these pests: and much of that sown in May and August was
destroyed.
The crickets attacked freshly germinated cotton as well as fodder crops
and a good deal of damage was done in the district; the Sub-Divisional Officer,
Hissar Sub-Division. Western Jumna Canal, estimated that about 9,000 acres
of crop was destroyed by these pests in his sub-division.
Several devices recommended by the Assistant Professor of Entomology
for the destruction of the pests were tried, but none proved efficacious on a
scale large enough to be of any practical use.
I eventually found that neither insect had much appetite for "gowar,"
and during July and August a considerable area of that crop was sown.
During the autumn as large an area as possible was put under oats and,
in spite of the total absence of winter rain and very short supply of canal water
received during February and March, the crop did very well.